Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach confirms suspicion about the team's plan for Kingsley Suamataia in Year 2
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach gave some subtle insight into the future of the left guard position during his pre-draft media availability. The Chiefs upended stability on the left side of the offensive line with their trade sending Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. That move partly helped them afford left tackle Jaylon Moore in free […]
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach gave some subtle insight into the future of the left guard position during his pre-draft media availability.
The Chiefs upended stability on the left side of the offensive line with their trade sending Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. That move partly helped them afford left tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, but what exactly is the plan to replace the All-Pro left guard?
It didn't take long after the Thuney trade for many to predict that second-year OL Kingsley Suamataia would likely get the first shot at replacing Thuney. Suamataia flamed out at left tackle after K.C. didn't set him up for success through the first few weeks of the regular season. It ultimately led to a long-winding path for the team to have patchwork solutions at left tackle, which came to a head in Super Bowl LIX.
Andy Heck first floated the possibility of moving Suamataia to guard in early December. Sure enough, the best game of Suamataia's young career came at left guard in the Week 18 game against the Broncos, allowing one pressure on 24 pass-blocking snaps. He'd go on to be game-day active throughout the playoffs as a backup offensive lineman, begging the question: Will he play tackle or guard if he got called into action during a playoff game?
When Veach spoke to the media on Thursday, it became clear that the organization has a vision for Suamataia in his second year.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach sees Kingsley Suamataia giving the team flexibility on the left side
Speaking to media members about the decision to bring Jaylon Moore to Kansas City, Chiefs GM Brett Veach had a brief aside about the interior offensive line. While he didn't explicitly say the plan is to start Kingsley Suamataia in place of Joe Thuney, he left the breadcrumbs leading to that conclusion.
"I said over the last few months, I think that we’ve done a really good job, obviously, our interior has been strong the last few years," Veach said. "We did lose (Bears G) Joe (Thuney), and that late-season move with Kingsley (Suamataia) late in the season. His start in Denver was promising, so we think we have some flexibility there with those guys, but again, I think the ongoing effort and pursuit to just get more consistent play on that left side was important to us, and I don’t think that process will stop. We’ll continue in the draft to address the offensive line."
So, Suamataia's ability to play left guard will give the team "flexibility" on the left side. It sure sounds like the plan is to play him alongside newcomer Jaylon Moore, at least for now. It also doesn't quite sound like they're ready to fully commit to him not being able to grow into the left tackle role.
Betting markets certainly don't seem to buy that the Chiefs are done adding to the offensive line. With the 2025 NFL Draft around the corner and Veach's clear commitment to continuing to improve the offensive line through the draft, some more competition could likely be coming soon.
Kansas City Chiefs see striking comparison between RB Elijah Mitchell and two-time Super Bowl champion Jerick McKinnon
Chiefs GM Brett Veach spoke to the media about new free agent RB Elijah Mitchell on Thursday.
