Andy Reid’s confidence in Chiefs newcomer could make-or-break 3-peat

When the Kansas City Chiefs struggled on offense, the majority of the blame was pinned on the team’s underperforming wide receiver corps. 

However, the Chiefs offensive maladies were compounded by poor performances from the offensive tackle positions. With an inability to protect in the passing game and frequent drive-halting penalties, the Chiefs were forced to simplify their creative and dangerous passing scheme.

The Chiefs traded up one spot and drafted BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Entering training camp, there were concerns about how the blindside protection would hold up. But now, heading into the regular season, the bandwagon for the 6-foot-5, 326-pound rookie is nearly full. 

Andy Reid has faith in a rookie protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid praised Suamataia during a press conference on Sunday.

"He had a good training camp," Reid said. "He had a good preseason, but this is going to be a learning experience for him here. This is a good defensive line, and he's going to -- I'm sure there will be some ups and downs as he goes like any young player has. He's prepared himself, and it's time to go play now."

Suamataia and second-year tackle Wanya Morris entered training camp on a battle for the starting left tackle position. Morris missed time with various injuries, including a bone bruise and a shoulder injury. In the team’s preseason finale, Morris exited the game with a knee injury.

While Morris has worked his way back from the ailments, it’s become overwhelmingly clear that Suamataia won the job in a landslide. 

Suamataia will be the fourth different left tackle to open the season as the starter for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

In Mahomes’ first three seasons as a starter, veteran Eric Fisher anchored the position. After spending two seasons with Orlando Brown, the Chiefs moved onto veteran Donovan Smith last season. All three tackles got a share of the Chiefs dynasty, with each tackle winning one Super Bowl during their time in Kansas City.

The 2024 season will be the first time a rookie will protect Mahomes’ blindside. Regardless, Mahomes has faith in Suamataia as the Chiefs prepare to open the season against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.

"He has the confidence," Mahomes said of Suamataia. "He's going out there, and he's enjoying the moment. He's practicing hard. He's learning from the guys beside him. This is, like we said, probably the best defense in the league other than ours, so it's just going out there and competing against the best of the best Week 1. He's going to get kind of introduced fast. I'm excited for him to accept the challenge and see where he's at, but he did a great job in the preseason. He did a great job in training camp, and I'm excited for him to go out there and accept that next challenge."

Suamataia will have a lot of pressure — literally and figuratively — to deal with. If the whispers out of training camp are true, he could be a dominant force for years to come.