The Kansas City Chiefs have benched starting left guard Kingsley Suamataia for the second time in four games, and the team is offering no public explanation, a silence that left teammate Travis Kelce admitting he doesn’t know what’s going on either.
The benching came to light after Kansas City’s second straight loss on Sunday. Suamataia has not appeared on the injury report either time he’s been pulled from the starting lineup, raising questions about why a starter with no reported injury keeps losing his job without comment from the team.
“He’s family. Everyone has their own road,” Kelce said after the game. “We love Kingsley, we think he’s a hell of a player. At this time, I’m not even sure what the scenario is. I’m rolling with whoever we’ve got in that game. I’m sure Kingsley is drooling, trying to get back out there.”
Head coach Andy Reid, who has declined both times to say why Suamataia was benched, gave the same brief response he offered when the lineman was first sidelined in Week 4.
“Yeah, that’s just between Kingsley and I, so,” Reid said.
In both cases, Suamataia’s replacement has been veteran backup Mike Caliendo, who according to ESPN’s Nate Taylor was quietly installed as the starter the day before the Week 4 game without public announcement.
The move had real consequences on the field Sunday. Caliendo was unable to handle Denver defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who sacked quarterback Patrick Mahomes to seal the Broncos’ win. That loss dropped Kansas City, at 5-2, out of the top spot in the AFC West, with Denver moving ahead at 6-2.
The lack of transparency around Suamataia’s status echoes another unresolved situation on the Chiefs’ offensive line. Left tackle Josh Simmons has missed the entire season for a mix of reasons, and reports have surfaced that Reid and Mahomes removed him from a team meeting after he put his feet up while on injured reserve with a herniated disk.
Kansas City will try to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts the 2-6 New York Jets at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
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