Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirms suspicions on surprising Kingsley Suamataia decision in Week 11 vs. Bills
The Kansas City Chiefs made a tough decision on a 2024 NFL draft pick in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills. After being active for each game this season, the Chiefs made rookie LT Kingsley Suamataia a healthy scratch for Week 11's game against the Bills. This wasn't like the decision to bench Suamataia in Week 3 because he […]
The Kansas City Chiefs made a tough decision on a 2024 NFL draft pick in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills.
After being active for each game this season, the Chiefs made rookie LT Kingsley Suamataia a healthy scratch for Week 11's game against the Bills. This wasn't like the decision to bench Suamataia in Week 3 because he wasn't starting and was already sitting on the bench. However, he was no longer their choice for swing tackle.
They replaced him on the active gameday roster with UDFA OT Ethan Driskell, who got some snaps at right tackle ahead of the game per several reporters in attendance. That suggests that the team might actually use LG Joe Thuney at left tackle in an injury situation like they previously faced in Week 10.
These decisions came after Suamataia's season-long struggles snow-balled in Week 10 while filling in for an injured Wanya Morris for two quarters. In that game, Suamataia totaled almost as many pressures as the rest of the team combined in just two-quarters of play. It resembled the rest of his rookie season, during which he's allowed 13 total pressures, including three sacks, in virtually a fourth of the total pass-blocking snaps.
On Monday, Chiefs HC Andy Reid took some time to discuss the decision and how it was in Suamataia's best interest.
"Yeah, Kingsley (Suamataia) is going to be OK," Reid said. "It's just sometimes you've got to take a step back to take a step forward. And that's what we felt we needed to do there. So, we'll go from there and just see how things work out here as he continues to work forward."
Chiefs OC Matt Nagy hinted that this move might be coming in Week 11
If you were reading between the lines, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy spilled the beans that this decision was coming for Suamataia. While the team still has plenty of faith in Suamataia's ability, his on-field performance no longer matched expectations.
"He's young, he's inexperienced," Nagy said on Thursday. "There's a lot that goes into that, but he's super talented. And so there's a little bit of a patience level to that as well. But for us too, it's also — you've got to get the job done. You know what I mean? There's a business side of it. So, there's a balance between the two."
There's no doubt about it, this was a business decision for Kansas City to move away from Suamataia at this juncture. It's not necessarily a reflection of his long-term potential with the Chiefs. Would they love for him to have been an All-Pro left tackle right out of the gate? What NFL team wouldn't want that? The reality is that this 21-year-old rookie wasn't ready for what Kansas City asked of him. There's no shame in admitting that and setting him up for success by taking him out of the crosshairs.
The good news is that the team identified this before putting Suamataia into a situation that could really stunt his growth and development. Now, he can take a step back, get back into the playbook, and focus on the scheme rather than the pass rusher lining up across from him. Thankfully, Wanya Morris is healthy and they seem to have a serviceable plan in place at the left tackle spot moving forward this season.
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