Former San Diego State lineman signs with Kansas City Chiefs

Josh Simmons started 13 games for San Diego State during the 2022 season

San Diego State Aztecs offensive lineman Josh Simmons. | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

On Monday, offensive lineman Josh Simmons made the start of his professional football career official, signing his contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

A first-round pick, selected No. 32 overall in the recent NFL Draft, Simmons played each of his past two seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes. As the final pick of the first round, Simmons signed a four-year contract worth $14.675 million guaranteed, with half of that money coming as a signing bonus. He is also eligible for a fifth-year option on his original contract, something that is only available to first-round selections.

A native of San Diego, Simmons played three seasons for Madison High School before transferring to Helix High School for his final season. The 2020 fall football season was pushed to the spring in California during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading Simmons to never play a game for the Highlanders as a senior.

A highly sought-after recruit with more than two dozen scholarship offers, Simmons was briefly committed to Oregon for just over two months in 2020. He committed to nearby San Diego State in January of 2021, enrolling with the Aztecs that summer. He spent the first season at San Diego State redshirting before making his mark in year two. A right tackle during his time with the Aztecs, Simmons started all 13 games during his redshirt freshman season before entering the college football transfer portal following the season.

The 6-foot-5, 317-pound Simmons chose Ohio State coming out of the portal and went on to earn the starting left tackle position for the Buckeyes. He became a top name among NFL scouts ahead of the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in game six of the year against Oregon.

Simmons joins a Kansas City Chiefs team that has made 10 consecutive playoff trips, winning three of their five Super Bowl appearances during that time. Despite their recent success, the Chiefs have had lots of trouble pass blocking for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Likely slotting in at left tackle, Simmons is likely to be in the spotlight in his new home. In Kansas City, Simmons will be reunited with former San Diego State teammate Matt Araiza. An All-American and Ray Guy Award winner with the Aztecs, Araiza punted in every game for the Chiefs this past season, averaging 48.8 yards per punt.