The Kansas City Chiefs are no strangers to offensive line concerns early in 2026. From injuries to mysterious absences, the Chiefs have been searching for answers from left to right in front of Patrick Mahomes.
After already surfacing as a question mark back in Week 4, Kingsley Suamataia was once again a major subject of concern and conversation before Week 8. That's because Chiefs head coach Andy Reid decided to bench him for the second time in the first half of the '26 season at left guard in order to go with Mike Caliendo.
Chiefs make another unexpected switch at left guard
No announcements were made before the game, so the only indication came when Caliendo was seen with the first-team offensive line during warm-ups before the Chiefs took the field at Mile High to face the Denver Broncos. Then came the official word that Suamataia was, in fact, out of the starting lineup.
The Chiefs came out with Caliendo in the starting lineup back in Week 4 as well, a shock for fans that Reid wouldn't go with his best protectors up front for Mahomes. But after the game, Reid decided to keep his reasons in-house and refused to comment further on the matter:
"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."
Kingsley Suamataia's uncertain standing continues
Suamataia returned to the starting lineup after the Chiefs' Week 5 bye and played in each of the last two games. Perhaps something arose from the team's first loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. Perhaps it's something internal. But it's odd that the Chiefs would go with Caliendo once again on such short notice.
Suamataia was the Chiefs' second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of BYU. He was quickly benched after just two starts at left tackle to kick off his rookie campaign and remained out for the duration. However, he slid inside to left guard in 2025 and put up a solid effort despite the Chiefs' collapse to 6-11 overall. This year, he was the assumed starting LG once again as part of the Chiefs' solid interior, but two benchings in 8 games is not a good sign.
Suamataia's concerns are only part of the conversation up front for K.C. Left tackle Josh Simmons has yet to play this season and was just placed on injured reserve with a back injury. Doubts about his future with the franchise have also arisen. Right tackle Jaylon Moore returned on Sunday after missing two games in the team's concussion protocol. Center Creed Humphrey has fumbled multiple snaps after years of being crowned the game's best center. Right guard Trey Smith has been playing through a hip injury to start the season.
Reid will undoubtedly face questions about Suamataia's absence after the game, but for now, fans are only left with their best guesses as to why the Chiefs are messing with Mahomes' protection up front. The concern is obvious given both Mahomes' overall importance to the team's success and specifically as he continues to work his way back from a season-ending knee injury from a year ago.
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