The Chiefs expressed confidence in Kingsley Suamataia as Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside protector this offseason, but after a rough day against the Bengals, the defending champions are changing course.
Suamataia did not make it out of Week 2 as Kansas City’s left tackle starter, and the team will turn to his backup tonight against the Falcons. Wanya Morris will start tonight, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Suamataia had beaten out the 2023 third-round pick in training camp, but the Chiefs will sit the struggling rookie.
Trey Hendrickson beat Suamataia for two sacks, leading to the Chiefs parking the BYU product on their final drive Sunday. Andy Reid said both Suamataia and Morris would play against the Falcons. With the news of Suamataia’s benching emerging, it will be interesting to see what the split between the two — who appear to again be battling for the job — will be in Week 3.
Kansas City traded up one spot (via San Francisco) for Suamataia in the second round, climbing to No. 63 to land a player connected to the team late in the pre-draft process. The Chiefs did not re-sign 2023 stopgap Donovan Smith, whom the team had brought in after letting Orlando Brown Jr. defect to the Bengals during last year’s free agency period. Smith, 31, remains a free agent.
The team had wanted to extend Brown in 2022, with some in the building growing frustrated after the 2021 trade pickup turned down a six-year extension offer. Brown had cited insufficient guarantees as the reason he passed on the proposal, and while he played well to help the 2022 Chiefs to a championship, the team passed on a second franchise tag. This led to the team paying Jawaan Taylor, who surfaced as a left tackle option before the team quickly installed the ex-Jaguars starter at his natural RT position. Taylor led the NFL in penalties last season, but the $20MM-per-year player remains in place as Kansas City’s other starting tackle.
Morris started four games in place of an injured Smith last season; the Oklahoma alum surrendered a pair of sacks and 27 pressures when on the field, per PFF, resulting in a 55.6 overall grade. The Chiefs then prioritized a potential upgrade, drafting the 21-year-old Suamataia, a 2023 second-team All-Big 12 blocker who then beat out Morris for the gig after a spring and summer competition.
It certainly should not be discounted Suamataia regroups and reclaims the job he initially won, but for now, the Chiefs will turn to Morris after their offense struggled in Week 2.
Suamataia you feel like a nut… Suamataia you don’t.