The Kansas City Chiefs made a surprise decision prior to the team’s loss against the Denver Broncos on Sunday in benching left guard Kingsley Suamataia.
The 2024 second round pick had already been benched in Week 4 in the win against the Las Vegas Raiders for unspecified reasons, and ahead of the team’s bout in Week 8 he did the very same thing.
Andy Reid Comments on Kingsley Suamataia’s Benching
Speaking to the media after the game, Reid declined to answer why he benched the third year offensive lineman.
“It’s just between Kingsley and I,” Reid said after the loss when asked for the reasoning behind the decision.
The first time the exact same situation arose the veteran head coach gave a similarly mute answer.
“As far as the Kingsley thing goes before you guys ask, that’s between Kingsley and I, we’ll figure it out and down the road we’ll be better as a team for it and Kingsley will be better for it.”
“As far as the Kingsley thing goes before you guys ask, that’s between Kingsley and I, we’ll figure it out and down the road we’ll be better as a team for it and Kingsley will be better for it.” Reid said after his benching in Week 4 back on Oct. 4.
Kingsley Suamataia Second Benching Points to Ongoing Issues
For the 68-year old to bench anyone is an uncommon occurrence for a head coach branded as anything but a disciplinarian. For him to do so twice in the first half of the season – and once again as a seemingly game-time decision would seem to imply that there is something very real going on behind the scenes.
Especially as Reid explicitly noted that it was due to reasons concerning the two of them, rather a more generic answer arguing that 23-year old’s replacement, Mike Caliendo, was just the better option for the game.
Perhaps this move could lead to the Chiefs taking further action this coming week as Kansas City prepares to take on the New York Jets. Even if it does not, the situation remains one of the more bizarre ongoing sagas in the KC locker room; and one that evidently requires a solution sooner rather than later.
Andy Reid Makes Muted Statement on Kingsley Suamataia After Second Benching