Chiefs bench Kingsley Suamataia for rookie free agent on active roster vs. Bills

They say actions speak louder than words, and it appears the Kansas City Chiefs had a lot to say about the state of things at left tackle—at least, judging by their actions at the position going into their scheduled game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Chiefs are in Orchard Park, New York on Sunday afternoon for the biggest showdown on the NFL's packed Week 11 schedule, and for the most part, there are bigger fish to fry for both franchises than what's going on at left tackle for the Chiefs behind Wanya Morris. But within the bigger organizational picture, the shift is an important one, which is why we're talking about it before the game.

The Chiefs are shaking things up a bit at left tackle heading into Week 11.

The Chiefs will start Wanya Morris at left tackle against the Bills and everyone in Chiefs Kingdom is hoping he stays healthy for the entire game as he makes his eighth consecutive start. However, it's not hard to recall the signfiicant concerns of a week ago when Morris went down with a knee injury and felt forced back into the game late because Kingsley Suamataia looked so overwhelmed when attempting to replace him.

Suamataia was the Chiefs' second-round pick out of Brigham Young, and the potential felt as massive as his frame. However, he was an admitted project all along and scouts made it clear that there was going to be a major learning curve as he adjusted to protecting Patrick Mahomes' blindside at the pro level.

Suamataia started the season as the team's starter but he was benched in favor of Morris after two games (midway through the second one, actually). From there, he's been able to remain in the shadows and learn while staying on the depth chart as LT2. But after being called upon last week, the Chiefs felt the pressure to make some changes.

For Week 11, Suamataia has been benched among the rest of the team's inactive players—with the likes of long-term projects like C.J. Hanson. That's not a vote of confidence for the growth trajectory midway through his first season, but a team like the Chiefs have greater interests than just developing their younger players.

The move shifts Ethan Driskell from steady inactive player to backup tackle, and this is where the Chiefs are showing some favor. If benching Suamataia shows he's not ready, the boost to Driskell shows that he is ready—at least for a tryout. The Chiefs know Morris has been listed on the injury report this week even though he's clear to play without a designation and they're rolling with Driskell as his primary replacement anyway.

Driskell, who stands 6'8", was a two-year starter at Marshall before going undrafted this past spring. He signed with the Chiefs and surprised everyone by making the active roster, a credit to his potential and hard work in training camp to upset a number of more experienced players or buzzed-about prospects.

That the Chiefs find Driskell more ready to contribute than Suamataia is telling, but even more so is the fact that the Chiefs made this move as their only one at left tackle this week. Instead of signing a free agent (e.g. Donovan Smith) in the face of a clear need, the Chiefs are at least giving Driskell an opportunity to show what he can do. It's a patient move on Brett Veach's part to see what internal help he has before reaching for an external answer.

None of this means that Suamataia's long-term stock is down. A project remains a project and the pick of Suamataia was always about 2025 and beyond. But it's telling that the growth curve isn't where it could be at this point. Now the Chiefs will see what help looks like from someone else.