Aug 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid watches pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Former Chief Believes in Second-Year Offensive Lineman

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Dominic Minchella | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs' biggest weakness last season was easily their offensive line. Rotating several players in and out of positions, the Chiefs did all they could to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes, yet he was sacked a career-high 36 times during the regular season.

Going into the offseason, Kansas City needed to add to its biggest weakness, while also developing the younger offensive linemen it already had. One of those offensive linemen is a second-year player and former second-round draft pick, Kingsley Suamataia.

Suamataia's first season in the National Football League had its ups and downs, yet more of the downs stood out more than the others. According to Pro Football Focus, Suamataia was a below-average player on the offensive line. But head coach Andy Reid hasn't lost hope in what he could be.

This offseason, Coach Reid said that Suamataia and Mike Caliendo would battle for the starting left guard role, and with the preseason now concluded, the Chiefs have to make a decision on where Suamataia will play for the regular season.

In the eyes of former Chiefs offensive lineman and Super Bowl champion Mitchell Schwartz, Suamataia looks to have made enough of an impact to be the starting left guard. Taking to X recently, Schwartz asked the Chiefs Kingdom if they believe he has proven enough to earn a spot on the starting offensive line.

"Is Kingsley allowed to play guard now or are all of you still out on him?," Schwartz wrote on X.

Suamataia has been very vocal this offseason about knowing that he needs to improve on things. His presence on the offensive line as a starter should only increase as the season continues. Depending on how well he plays in the first week of the campaign against the Los Angeles Chargers will dictate if he's ready for the challenge.

Pairing Suamataia on the left side of the line with the Chiefs' first round draft pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, Josh Simmons, will be the side of the line to watch this season. With Suamataia needing to prove he can play on the line regularly and Simmons earning his confidence against pro players, the offensive line could be much better than it was last season in 2025.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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