Andy Reid Gives Kingsley Suamataia High Marks for Preseason Debut

Only so much can be taken from one game, especially an outing of the preseason variety. With that said, reading between the lines can help reveal how the Kansas City Chiefs may feel about plenty of their players.

Offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia is no different. The 2024 NFL Draft second-round pick made his unofficial debut with the club on Saturday, although he logged just six snaps. In that one offensive possession, however, he still managed to stand out to head coach Andy Reid.

Speaking to the media following one of Kansas City’s final training camp practices, Reid said he liked what he saw from Suamataia.

“Listen, I thought he did a nice job in there,” Reid said. “His feet, his sets were good. He was aggressive. I thought for the short time that he was in, he did a nice job. It was a good start for him. He’s got to obviously build on it [with] the more time he gets and so on, but I thought it was a very productive start.”

By many accounts, Suamataia showed the same traits he flashed as a prospect at BYU. The versatile tackle is a very young player with an exciting athletic profile. That’s what drew the Chiefs to him in the draft, and it’s what has translated thus far as both a blessing and a curse. Pro Football Focus concludes that Suamataia had four pass-blocking reps and two run-blocking ones on Saturday, notching a 77.7 grade on the former that finished second to only Mike Caliendo on the Chiefs.

It’s the context of Suamataia’s snaps, though, that should be taken into account. While a healthy Wanya Morris could’ve altered the rotation, the rookie came onto the field with Kansas City’s starters and left with them as well. Instead of getting valuable experience beyond one drive, Reid decided that he’d seen enough from the first-year man. That’s a not-so-subtle hint of where the left tackle competition stands, in this writer’s opinion.

Following Monday’s practice, Reid described the Morris injury as a bone bruise in his knee. A painful ailment to deal with, the 2023 Day 2 draft pick isn’t out of the battle if he can hit the ground running again. His situation is a bit of a murky one.