Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia participates in organized team activities on … More
Destroyed 38-0 by the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs had few positives emerge from their final regular-season game last season.
But one was the play of Kingsley Suamataia.
With the Chiefs having locked up their No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, they rested most of their starters and gave the rookie Suamataia a chance at left guard. He entered the contest on the Chiefs’ second possession and played 91% of the offensive snaps.
Suamataia played so well that Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen, a second-team All-Pro who had 8.5 sacks in 2024, complimented his performance after the game, saying how well he did for his first time playing inside.
And it serves as a promising preview for 2025, as Suamataia, who was drafted as a tackle, may end up starting at left guard.
Suamataia spoke publicly for the first time this offseason about his transition to the interior.
“It’s going great,” he said. “It was like a nice little restart at a new position. It’s like Year One all over again.”
The early results through the three weeks of organized team activities (OTAs) have showed his potential. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Suamataia looks more comfortable, though optimism must be tempered because players weren’t wearing pads or going full speed, and it’s really more of a passing camp.
Nonetheless, six-time Pro Bowler Chris Jones has been in attendance, giving Suamataia a chance to practice mano a mano against the best.
“That will certainly help him,” Reid said.
The potential starting opportunity at left guard came about after the Chiefs traded Joe Thuney, who began the season at left guard before eventually replacing Suamataia at left tackle, to the Chicago Bears. (Chicago subsequently signed him to a two-year, $35 million extension.)
Though Thuney started in Super Bowl LIX as Patrick Mahomes’ blindside protector, it was Suamataia who opened the season as the starting left tackle. But he struggled against Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson in Week Two, resulting in him getting benched.
“It was rough obviously early, and expectations were high,” Reid said. “You come into a championship-caliber team and thrown in there at left tackle. It’s not always the easiest thing for a young guy, but I think it was great experience.”
The Chiefs are hoping he can use that experience to help solidify an offensive line, which was exposed in Super Bowl LIX. The Philadelphia Eagles pummeled the Chiefs, sacking Patrick Mahomes six times and hitting him five other times.
Suamataia knows the offensive line can’t let Mahomes take a beating like that again.
“I’m blocking (for) the best player in the NFL,” he said. “So I take a lot of pride in that.”
To prepare for blocking for Mahomes, Suamataia spent the offseason working out in Utah, the state where he went to high school and spent his last two years of college before declaring for the NFL draft after his junior year.
Entering the second year of his four-year, $6.4 million rookie contract, Suamataia will compete with Mike Caliendo for that left guard position.
On the other side of the line, last year’s starting right guard Trey Smith was not in attendance at OTAs.
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on him but have not signed him to the long-term extension that both he and the team seek.
“We’ll see where it goes,” Reid said.
While the Chiefs wait on Smith, Suamataia will try to lock down the other starting guard position.
“I’ve got to put my best foot forward every day,” he said.
