The Kansas City Chiefs are facing off against the Denver Broncos in a huge AFC West showdown.
Just minutes ahead of kickoff, Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star revealed that offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia is being benched in favor of veteran Mike Caliendo, who will start at left guard against Denver.
Kansas City Chiefs OL Kingsley Suamataia Benched for Second Time This Season
This isn’t the first time the Chiefs have opted for Caliendo over Suamataia. During their Week 4 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Suamataia was benched and did not take a single snap as Caliendo got the start. Coach Andy Reid didn’t reveal the reason why he benched Suamataia, but it was believed to be due to disciplinary reasons.
“As far as the Kingsley thing goes, before you guys ask, that’s between Kingsley and I,” Reid said after the Raiders game. “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.”
Suamataia returned to his starting role in Kansas City’s next game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and again last week against the Seattle Seahawks. He has played well this season, so perhaps there is something going on deeper than on-field performance. Reid will certainly be asked why he is benching Suamataia again after the game.
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After Suamataia was benched in Week 4, ESPN insider Nate Taylor stated he believes Suamataia was being disciplined.
“The team has not told me directly that is indeed the case, but I haven’t gotten a full denial that it wasn’t disciplinary,” Taylor said. “It was very disciplinary related, from what I can understand. I don’t think Kingsley missed the flight. I haven’t heard that. I think he made the flight. Something happened Saturday from what I understand. It wasn’t anything that happened in Vegas. I did get a chance to talk to Mike Caliendo, and Caliendo, based off what I can understand, he probably found out midday Saturday.”
Caliendo is a five-year NFL veteran who has had plenty of playing time throughout his career. He has yielded mix results, but has the trust of the coaching staff. The Broncos’ defensive front seven is one of the best in the league, so the Chiefs will be counting on Caliendo to hold up.
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