Chiefs’ biggest offseason risk is paying off, and they could reap the rewards for years to come
The Chiefs have been chasing this goal for a long time.
One of the moves the Kansas City Chiefs made this offseason that many fans were unsure of was the decision to trade All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney and have Kingsley Suamataia, a former offensive tackle, replace him.
The Chiefs needed to save some money, and they believed in Suamataia’s talent. He made the switch to LG during the offseason, and Kansas City committed to him as its starter right off the bat. Now five games into the regular season, that risk is paying off.
Kingsley Suamataia is settling in nicely at LG
Suamataia has been a solid run blocker all season, but has really stepped up over his last two games as a pass protector, allowing zero quarterback pressures and zero sacks. He has gotten more comfortable each week, and has contributed to the Chiefs’ offense dramatic improvement as of late (H/T Caleb James).
K.C. not only got younger and cheaper at LG with Suamataia, but have a good player at the position. He and rookie left tackle Josh Simmons will be playing side-by-side for at least the next few years, and possibly long-term. While speaking to the media on Friday, Suamataia talked about the chemistry is has developed with Simmons.
“It’s my second year, [and] Josh’s first year,” Suamataia said. “[I’m] just trying to grasp everything I learned my first year and share it with him, especially with the plays. We have a lot of plays. He’s taking it on well, he’s an incredible athlete, and I love playing next to him.”
Chiefs may have four of their five starting offensive linemen for the foreseeable future
The Chiefs already have center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith locked up to long-term contracts. It appears that they have also found gems in Suamataia and Simmons, meaning four of their five offensive linemen are set through at least 2027. If K.C. can extend Suamataia and Simmons down the road, its offensive line will be set for the long haul.
That leaves right tackle to be figured out. Jawaan Taylor has the job for this year, but the Chiefs could cut him during the offseason to save roughly $20 million. Regardless of who becomes their RT of the future, even just a run-of-the-mill player would be fine if the other four K.C. offensive linemen continue to be great.
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