Head coach Andy Reid has finally cleared up one of the biggest question marks surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2026 season. During his media availability Wednesday, Reid revealed that Simmons has a bulging disc in his lower back, which is why he didn’t make his 2026 season debut.
Simmons first injured his back during training camp and hasn’t practiced since mid-August.
Let’s examine the injury affecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ blind-side defender.
The low back, the lumbar spineconsists of five large vertebrae. Between each vertebra lies an intervertebral disc. Each disc acts as a shock absorber for the spine, as well as a cushion between each vertebral level. The disc serves to prevent nerve compression, shearing, and accelerated degenerative conditions of the spine.
When a disc bulges, the outer protective layer weakens and stretches outward, but the gel-like interior remains intact. A more significant injury is a herniated disc, where the disc protrudes outward due to a tear or crack in the outer protective layer.
A bulging disc can cause many problems. These include, mainly, pain, loss of range of motion, radicular symptoms (lower leg pain or abnormal sensation), and loss of strength.
Nerves originate at each level of the spine and branch out to the rest of the body and extremities. Nerve roots from the lumbar spine innervate the lower extremities. Bulging discs that compress nerves can cause lower leg pain, numbness, tingling, and/or loss of strength.
Unfortunately, there is no set timeline for how long it will take for a bulging disc to resolve. Many factors affect the healing process. Decompression and rest are key early in rehab, along with restoring any lost mobility. With any lower extremity symptoms, the goal is centralized symptoms in the lumbar spine. Once symptoms subside, the focus can shift more toward strengthening and returning to higher-level activity.
Reid himself said in his press conference, “the back can be a little tricky.” They flare up easily, and when lower-extremity symptoms are present, they can take time to fully resolve. It was evident that this was a major injury, as Simmons had been out of practice for a month and a half.
Based on the information reported, however, the extent of the bulging disc (mild, moderate, or severe) and whether multiple spinal levels are involved are unknown. Obviously, if there are multiple impaired discs or the severity of the protrusion is greater, the symptoms will be more pronounced, and his return to play will take longer.
Offensive tackle is a position that requires speed, strength, power, and body control. All of these attributes can be affected by a back injury, making it important that Simmons is healthy before returning to the field. Nerve compression is almost certainly at play here, due to lower-extremity weakness.
The focus should shift from a timeline for Simmons’ return to making sure he’s healthy for the long term. The Chiefs have been in a marathon of a season—currently in position for a postseason run. All reports from the team indicate that Simmons is progressing well, so trust should be given to the rehab professionals to give Simmons every chance to return to the field in 2026.