The situation surrounding Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons remains murky — and contains a “level of mystery” — after the rookie missed their Week 6 game, with ESPN Kansas City beat reporter Nate Taylor describing it as “extremely unusual” given the timing, how it has been handled and how little everyone knows.

Simmons, selected No. 32 overall in April, was added to the injury report Sunday afternoon and listed as questionable due to a personal reason, and he ultimately didn’t play that night — with NBC reporting on its broadcast that Simmons was in California, Taylor said during an episode of the “Only Weird Games” podcast Tuesday.

But beyond that, specifics remain unknown or unconfirmed.

Josh Simmons is pictured during a training camp practice for the Chiefs on Aug. 5. AP

When asked about a SiriusXM report stating that Simmons — who grew up in San Diego — left for a family emergency, Taylor said “it appears it could be family-related, but I don’t know that definitively.”

When discussing what the Chiefs’ plan at left tackle could be in Week 7 against the Raiders, Taylor said there were hints from backup Jaylon Moore in the locker room Sunday that he could play again based on Simmons’ situation.

“He left at a time on Sunday that is extremely unusual,” Taylor said of Simmons, “and I’m not sure when he’s coming back. I don’t know if the team — as of right now, the team doesn’t know when he’s coming back. No one associated with the Kansas City Chiefs has said to me, ‘Oh, he’ll be back Thursday or he’ll be back Friday or we anticipate him to be back at a certain point in time.’”

Josh Simmons is pictured during the Chiefs’ Aug. 22 preseason game. Getty Images

Taylor also said it appeared based on Patrick Mahomes’ comments in his postgame press conference that he only found out about Simmons’ absence during the Chiefs’ Sunday walkthrough, when Mahomes reportedly asked where Simmons was and was told by coaches that “we don’t know.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid declined to comment on Simmons’ status Wednesday beyond the fact that general manager Brett Veach was handling the situation, while Taylor also said he asked Reid about it Monday — the day before the podcast episode was released — and didn’t receive an answer, either.

“Andy Reid didn’t want to answer it because it is somewhat becoming clear that maybe Andy Reid doesn’t have an answer,” Taylor said during the episode of his question to Reid on Monday. “He didn’t say that definitively, but he also didn’t give us a legitimate answer as to whether or not he’s either A) talked to Josh Simmons, B) know what Josh Simmons is exactly going through for what the team called a personal reason, and he doesn’t know when he’s returning. And he won’t say that.”

Josh Simmons is pictured during a Chiefs practice at training camp Aug. 5. AP

Simmons played collegiately at San Diego State and Ohio State before the Chiefs drafted him, and he emerged as their starter after the preseason and logged 95 percent of the snaps at left tackle through the opening five games.

With Simmons out, Moore, who spent his first four years with the 49ers before signing with the Chiefs in the offseason, made his first start of 2025.

“I am led to believe that Josh Simmons left at an earlier time than what anybody knows publicly,” Taylor said, “which is also not good from a football situation standpoint — in terms of just what it means for the football, for the football team, he left at a time that is extremely unusual but given whatever circumstances he’s dealing with, he felt it was necessary to leave at that time, which put the Chiefs in a difficult situation from a football standpoint.”

The Chiefs defeated the Lions, 30-17, on Sunday and moved to 3-3.