Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce expressed his confusion and support for rookie left guard Kingsley Suamataia, who was benched for the second time this season following the team's recent loss to the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs’ decision to sideline Suamataia, who has not appeared on the injury report for either of the games he was benched, has drawn attention.
"He's family. Everyone has their own road," Kelce said postgame, according to the New York Post. "We love Kingsley, we think he's a hell of a player. At this time, I'm not even sure what the scenario is. I'm rolling with whoever we've got in that game. I'm sure Kingsley is drooling, trying to get back out there."
This marks the second time in four games that head coach Andy Reid has opted to bench his starting left guard for undisclosed reasons. In both instances, Suamataia was replaced by veteran backup Mike Caliendo. Reid offered a brief statement when asked about the situation, stating, "Yeah, that's just between Kingsley and I, so," echoing his response from the first time Suamataia was benched in Week 4.
The offensive line's struggles were highlighted in the Broncos game when Caliendo was unable to prevent a game-winning sack on Patrick Mahomes by Denver's Malcolm Roach. This loss dropped the Chiefs to 5-2, giving the 6-2 Broncos the lead in the AFC West standings.
Adding to the team's offensive line concerns is the situation with left tackle Josh Simmons, who has been sidelined for the entire season for various reasons. Reports indicate that Reid and Mahomes reportedly removed Simmons from a team meeting for having his feet up, despite his status on injured reserve for a herniated disk.
The Chiefs will aim to rebound from their two-game losing streak when they host the 2-6 New York Jets on Sunday.