Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt provided an update about offensive lineman Josh Simmons as he continues to spend time away from the team. "It's not something I can go into, but it is a private family matter," Hunt, 60, told reporters on Monday, October 27. "We've had good communication with him, and there's an understanding by both parties as to where he is. We're hopeful to have him back with the team at some time in the future." When asked whether he felt optimistic about Simmons' eventual return to the team, Hunt said, "I do. I feel pretty good." Hunt's comments echoed those made by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on October 23. Gnarly Details of NY Giants Star Cam Skattebo's Season-Ending Injury Revealed "My update for you with Josh would just be there's communication," Reid, 67, told reporters. "I'm not going to get into all of it. Everything's positive. It's not a negative situation. He's taking care of family." Just hours before kickoff of the Chiefs game against the Detroit Lions on October 12, Simmons, 22, was ruled out for personal reasons. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported at the time that Simmons was "dealing with a family matter back home in California." Clark Hunt Chris Unger/Getty Images Simmons has not returned to team activities since and was listed as out of the lineup for "personal" reasons on the Chiefs' Week 9 injury report released on Wednesday, October 29. He is not expected to be active when Kansas City travels to Buffalo to play the Bills on Sunday, November 2. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke his silence about Simmons' absence on October 15. "I'm always praying for him," Mahomes, 30, told reporters. "I'm praying for all my teammates. So, I'm always praying for them, and I'll keep everything else kind of private to us." Fans Debate Travis Kelce's Behavior During National Anthem Performance ESPN reporter Nate Taylor stoked concern about the circumstances surrounding Simmons' state of affairs during a radio appearance earlier this month, calling it "the strangest situation I can think of since the first year covering the team on a daily basis." "I do believe it's a family matter," Taylor said October 16 on 96.5 The Fan. "I do believe Josh Simmons is back in the Southern California, San Diego area, which is his hometown. ... When Patrick Mahomes said yesterday that he's 'praying' for Josh Simmons, I think we all need to take that cue from the quarterback. I'm fearful, I guess, is probably the best way I can explain what I've heard. Some of which I've tried to gather and confirm and other things I'm still trying to pursue in terms of having a better understanding of what Josh is going through." Taylor continued, "I'm fearful because we don't have all the details right now. And that makes the outcome perhaps grim. I just want people to understand that this is really difficult for Josh. I can't imagine what he's going through based on what I've heard. ... You could do all the scouting, you could do all the background, all the research, you could be aware of everything that is surrounding a player's life well before you select them in the draft, but life is unpredictable. Sometimes you just don't have control over things."