Kansas City

Chiefs

The Chiefs made head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder available to the media to explain the 2026 Simmons Saga today. On August 17th, the young left tackle reported calf discomfort in the same leg that he underwent a patellar tendon repair in 2024. Chiefs trainers discovered that a bulging, herniated disc in his lumbar spine was causing the lower-leg issue. According to Burkholder, offensive linemen occasionally deal with this type of disc issue, but Simmons’ issue was complicated because it was abnormally high up in the lumbar spine. Simmons consulted with a well-regarded spine specialist, who recommended rehabilitation instead of surgery. Imaging taken early in the rehab process showed improvement, so they stayed the course, but unfortunately, Simmons’ recovery has recently plateaued, leading to the injured reserve placement. Simmons will be eligible to return for the Chiefs’ Week 11 game against the Cardinals.

Kelce played through an ankle issue in Week 6, catching five passes for 53 yards. Despite not playing at full health, he was still second on the team in targets. Kelce starts out the week as a limited practice participant and it would be a surprise if he misses National Tight End Day this week against the Seahawks.

Right tackle Jaylon Moore was also held out of practice with a concussion. Rice went down with the hamstring issue in Week 4. Even with a bye week to heal before Week 6, he wasn’t ready to return. A DNP today suggests he will miss at least one more game. Xavier Worthy led the Chiefs with seven catches for 73 yards in his absence last week. He would be in line for another high-usage game if Rice remains out for Week 7’s game against the Seahawks.

The Chiefs used more two tight end sets with Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton sidelined. Gray ran a route on around half of KC’s drop backs and matched Travis Kelce with 53 yards. If Kelce struggles to play through the ankle injury he picked up against the Bolts, Gray could step in as the team’s TE1 in Week 7 against the Seahawks.

Rashee Rice’s absence didn’t translate into more playing time for Allen, who logged a mere five pass routes against the Chargers. He can remain on waiver wires until his playing time increases, which is unlikely if Rice is able to return in the coming weeks.

It was another Ken Walker explosion game (128 yards, two touchdowns on the ground) with Johnson serving as the breather back. Johnson should be rostered as a high-upside contingency option in case Walker misses any time in the coming weeks or months.

The Chiefs, with Rashee Rice (hamstring) sidelined, made every effort to force feed Worthy near the line of scrimmage in this one. That resulted in Worthy leading the KC offense in both targets and receiving yards, with a long reception of 19 yards. Most of his Week 6 touches were of the gadget variety. Increased usage should give Worthy a sturdy PPR floor for now. He should be considered a flex play next week against the tough Seattle secondary.

The Chiefs once again leaned hard on the rushing attack, running the ball 24 times while attempting 30 passes on the day. Walker breezed through a lifeless LA defense from start to finish. On many of his carries Walker was not touched until he was five or six yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Walker, who accounted for 19 of the team’s 24 rushing attempts, is perhaps the most important player in fantasy football through Week 6. He’ll be an RB1 in Week 7 against his former mates in Seattle.

Kelce was in and out of the lineup in the first half while dealing with a lingering ankle issue. Though he clearly wasn’t 100 percent, Kelce was second on the team (behind Xavier Worthy) in targets and had a 24-yard catch and run reception in the second half. Kelce, who now has nine catches over his past three games, should see more looks from Patrick Mahomes for as long as Rashee Rice (hamstring) is sidelined. He’ll be a top-15 fantasy play in Week 7 against the Seahawks.

Mahomes had multiple touchdown tosses in every game this season headed into Week 6. Kansas City’s offense didn’t have to do much against a sleepy Chargers offense that could barely move the ball once again on Sunday. The Chiefs leaned on Ken Walker, who went for 128 yards and two touchdowns on the day. With Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton out, Mahomes relied heavily on Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce. Until Rice is back and fully healthy, Mahomes will be more of a top-15 option. He gets the Seahawks in Week 7.