Former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro teams up with Andy Reid to provide rookie Josh Simmons with tools for NFL success

As the Kansas City Chiefs' mandatory minicamp takes place, Andy Reid often observes and takes mental notes with a watchful eye. 

While he entrusts his position coaches with more than most NFL coaches might, he still has a zest for hands-on coaching and instruction, especially with young players. If he has an opportunity to provide a tip, trick, or tool to help them succeed at this level, he won't hesitate to do it.

“Listen, if I can give the guys something, just from experience, I try to do that," Reid explained after OTAs practice on June 12. "These guys are great. They’re the best in the world at what they’re doing, but if you can give them a little nugget – the great players that I’ve been around, they want that, so if I see something, I’ll share it with them. Their coaches do a great job with them, but if I see something, I’m going to try to tell them.”

Reid has the reputation as a surefire future Hall of Fame head coach, where that type of instruction might mean more and stick with some of these young players in Kansas City. After all, Reid has probably forgotten more about football than most coaches have ever known. 

Rookie LT Josh Simmons is getting an education that the best players in the world yearn for. Simmons revealed he's getting the Andy Reid treatment daily, but he's also getting pointers from another voice who has been in his shoes and won a Super Bowl with Coach Reid. 

"Really, he's been kind of talking to me every day after practice," Simmons said of Reid. "Giving me tips. And (Former Chiefs RT) Mitchell (Schwartz) is out there. So, he's kind of been putting me together with him and just being a really good support system for me." 

Schwartz played five seasons in Kansas City, starting 70 regular-season games at right tackle before a back injury forced his retirement. Since hanging up his cleats, Schwartz has been mentoring young Chiefs players. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith spoke to Schwartz and picked his brain at the OL Masterminds summit during the 2021 NFL season after Kansas City drafted them. He still calls Kansas City home, so joining the coaching staff for OTAs and mandatory minicamp is not a big lift. 

What can the former All-Pro and nine-year NFL veteran offer those young players, especially someone in Simmons' position?

"A lot," Simmons said. "He'll give me tips or tricks of what to do on this play or what Pat (Mahomes) might do on this play. That can set me up for a different angle on this play. So, (he has) definitely, definitely been helpful." 

It remains to be seen to what extent Schwartz's tutelage leads to success for rookie Simmons, but that type of support system certainly can't hurt in the early stages of his NFL education.