Top Draft Prospect Sends Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs Clear Signal After O-Line Troubles Cost Them Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs are no strangers to reloading, but this offseason, the mission feels personal. After a Super Bowl loss that saw Patrick Mahomes under siege, the focus is clear—protect QB1 at all costs. While fans and analysts debate how KC will fix the trenches, one top draft prospect may have already sent his application in the most 2025 way possible—not with a workout video or a headline-grabbing quote, but with a simple digital wink.
Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, one of the top offensive tackles in the 2025 NFL Draft, just followed the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes on Instagram—which is basically the social media version of a ‘Hey, what’s up?‘. It doesn’t mean he’s packing his bags for KC just yet, but when a 6-foot-5, 310-pound brick wall starts keeping tabs on Mahomes, you gotta wonder if he’s thinking ahead.
Simmons is an absolute tank on the O-line. He kicked things off at San Diego State, locking down right tackle for 13 games in 2022. Before hitting the transfer portal and landing at Ohio State in 2023. There, he flipped to left tackle and instantly became a key piece on the Buckeyes’ offense. He started every game in 2023 and was holding it down in 2024 until a knee injury took him out. Even with that setback, he still snagged honorable mention All-Big Ten, proving he’s got that dawg in him and is built for the league.
Scouts say he’s got elite footwork, solid hands, and the versatility to play both tackle spots. But he still needs to clean up his technique against power rushers. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says Josh Simmons is locked in as a first-round pick and will be 100% ready for training camp.
Chiefs’ O-line held up all year—until it didn’t
The Chiefs’ offensive line had been solid all season, helping them cruise to a 17-2 record. Keeping Patrick Mahomes mostly out of harm’s way. But in Super Bowl LIX, they ran into a different beast. The Eagles‘ defense brought the heat, and KC’s protection finally cracked. Mahomes was pressured on 40.5% of his dropbacks, way more than usual, and it threw the whole offense off. With the pocket collapsing over and over, the Chiefs struggled to move the ball, leading to their 40-22 loss on the biggest stage.
“It felt a lot like the last time the Chiefs lost in the Super Bowl. Mahomes was under constant pressure, just like against the Buccaneers,” former wide receiver Julian Edelman said. And he wasn’t wrong. The Eagles basically copied Tampa Bay’s blueprint from Super Bowl LV. Attack the O-line, take away Mahomes’ time, and force him to scramble. The usual protection just wasn’t there, and it showed. Joe Thuney, Mike Caliendo, Trey Smith, and Jawaan Taylor all had pass-blocking grades below 61.0, which is not what you want in a game like this.
On top of that, three straight deep playoff runs might’ve caught up to them. “You gotta give them props—no back-to-back champs have ever made it back to the Super Bowl the next year,” Edelman pointed out. “They looked like they ran out of gas, but they ran out of gas for a reason. They just had a three-year run that was one hell of a run.” Whether it was exhaustion or just getting outplayed, the message is clear. If the Chiefs want another ring, shoring up the O-line has to be priority No. 1 this offseason.
