Andy Reid Remains Tight-Lipped on Kingsley Suamataia’s Unexpected Chiefs Benching

In the Kansas City Chiefs' 30-27 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, a key piece on the offensive line was nowhere to be found. Kingsley Suamataia relinquished his starting left guard role to veteran Mike Caliendo for the entirety of the action.

During the contest, ESPN's Nate Taylor revealed that Suamataia's absence was a "coaching decision." He hadn't been listed on the injury report all week, making it clear that it was due to something behind the scenes.

There were questions about whether Suamataia was out for personal reasons or being disciplined by the coaching staff. In his postgame press conference, Andy Reid didn't necessarily give reporters much to run with, addressing the situation before anyone could even ask.

"As far as the Kingsley thing goes, before you guys ask, that's between Kingsley and I," Reid said. "But we'll figure it out down the road. We'll be better as a team for it, and Kingsley will be better for it."

The decision to start Mike Caliendo over Kingsley Suamataia is a coaching decision, not injury related, per Chiefs.

Caliendo is still lined up in the huddle for the first snap of the second quarter.
— Sam McDowell (@SamMcDowell11) October 4, 2026

The 2024 second-round pick out of BYU had played all 201 offensive snaps at left guard prior to today. Instead, Caliendo received the nod at guard opposite Trey Smith on the right side.

Without speculating too much, it does sound like the decision was made based on something Suamataia did, potentially breaking a team rule or standard. Then again, it's evident that we're not going to get much information beyond Reid's comments.

Patrick Mahomes also addressed the situation after the game and acknowledged the importance of Suamataia. Then again, the Chiefs' signal-caller made it known that he had plenty of confidence in his replacement today.

"Kingsley knows how important he is to the team," Mahomes said. "Like coach said, he'll keep it between him and Kingsley. But at the end of the day, we have a guy like Mike Caliendo who's played in a lot of big games and had a lot of reps. He stepped right in and did a great job against a really good defensive line. I have a ton of trust in him, and then we'll get Kingsley back in the fold here soon."

Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia (76) takes the field at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Suamataia is a tackle-turned-guard who excelled at his new position in 2025, starting all 17 games there. It remains to be seen whether this coaching decision will extend beyond this week or if it will just be a one-time benching to teach him a lesson.

Overall, the offensive line wasn't particularly clean tonight. Mahomes was sacked twice on the afternoon, but the Raiders were in Kansas City's backfield on many occasions.

Obviously, the best version of this Chiefs roster includes Suamataia at left guard. We should find out more about his status for Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers after the bye.

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