Why Kingsley Suamataia was the Chiefs’ comeback player of the year in 2025
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Suamataia transformed from 2024 draft bust into a reliable Chiefs starter.
- Coaches praised his positional shift, communication and weekly improvement.
- Suamataia was one of few positives for the 6–11 Chiefs, boosting his stock.
Think back to late July and early August.
The Chiefs were coming off their third straight Super Bowl trip — albeit a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles — but it still felt like the offensive pieces were in place for a dynastic revenge tour.
They had the quarterback, the pass-catchers and the first-round left tackle who was way ahead of schedule on his injury rehab.
A glaring question remained: How in the world would Kingsley Suamataia — the “draft bust” from 2024 at left tackle — possibly serve as an adequate replacement for All-Pro Joe Thuney at left guard?
“I heard (the noise) from my family and friends,” Suamataia said in an exclusive interview with The Star. “They’d send me stuff, but I never looked at it. I just kept my head down and kept working.”
Cue the ESPN “30 for 30” music.
What if I told you that Kansas City’s biggest question mark turned out to be one of the only things that went right in 2025?
On the disappointment of 2024
In April 2024, the Chiefs traded up one spot to select Suamataia out of BYU with the 63rd overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft.
In his first interview with reporters, Suamataia said he would fit perfectly. Former Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi called him the “prototype left tackle.” Regional scout Greg Castillo said he’d “fallen in love” with Suamataia’s athleticism.
And with Donovan Smith no longer an option, that was music to the fan base’s ears. After a carousel that included Smith, Orlando Brown and Eric Fisher, the problem had been solved.
Yeah ... not so fast. Though Kansas City initially framed a training camp competition between Suamataia and 2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris, that lasted about three days. Once the pads came on, Suamataia took virtually every first-team rep at left tackle.
That set the stage for Suamataia to start Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens and Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Against the Ravens, Suamataia had a key block on Xavier Worthy’s early touchdown, but he later allowed a sack and was called for holding in the third quarter. His first start was up-and-down but encouraging, on par for a second-rounder in that spot.
It all unraveled in Week 2, when Suamataia drew All-Pro Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson proved to be too much, and Suamataia was benched for Morris after allowing two sacks and taking two holding penalties in the second half.
“I felt like we needed to take a step back to take a step forward,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at the time. “Whether he’s in or out, I still think that was the right thing to do there.”
Suamataia didn’t see regular snaps at left tackle again until Week 10 against the Denver Broncos, and the struggles persisted: multiple pressures and three quarterback hits, including a sack.
Behind the scenes, Reid met with Suamataia to assure him he wasn’t giving up on him.
“He said it happens to the best of the best, and sometimes you’ve got to step back and visualize and take into consideration everything that’s happening,” Suamataia said. “Personally I had some stuff going on, but when I took that step forward and got to play guard, it really helped.”
A new position in Week 18
With the No. 1 seed locked up, the Chiefs rested starters and experimented in Week 18 against the Broncos. Suamataia played left guard.
Under Reid’s guidance, Suamataia maintained belief that he belonged in the NFL.
“I don’t really take it as a failing thing,” Suamataia said. “I took it definitely as a learning curve. My confidence was always there, but obviously I got benched. For me, I’m competitive, and I never lost my confidence. Those two weeks before (we played the Broncos), that’s when I played guard, and that’s really when I found a love for it.”
Suamataia entered the glorified tryout against Denver with one focus: Stop Zach Allen, who came in with 8.5 sacks for a Broncos team that had to have the game.
“First time playing guard ever in my life, and I go against probably the best defensive tackle in the league,” Suamataia said. “It was definitely an eye-opener for me, but it was definitely a blessing, too.”
His night wasn’t perfect, but he allowed just one pressure on 24 pass-blocking snaps. And while Suamataia would go on to watch the playoffs from the sideline, the more important win was showing Reid and general manager Brett Veach enough to create an opportunity in 2025.
Suamataia’s performance was promising enough that Kansas City moved Thuney to the Chicago Bears in March. In the offseason, the position became Suamataia’s to lose. “When we brought him in, we knew he had that flexibility,” Reid said at the beginning of OTAs this past April. “He is a very good athlete. He can run and he can pass-block – do all the things that he needs to do. I thought he felt more comfortable in there. As a young guy, sometimes you see guys that start in there and then they work their way back outside.
“So, we stuck him in there and he did a nice job against Denver, that was one of the bright spots in a game that didn’t have many so that was a — I thought he did a good job — and that’s where we’ll put him.”
Chiefs comeback player of the year
Much as he did during 2024’s left tackle “competition” with Morris, Suamataia took most of the first-team left guard snaps in camp and the preseason over veteran Mike Caliendo — a clear sign Reid planned to give Suamatai some runway.
Lined up next to rookie left tackle Josh Simmons and veteran center Creed Humphrey, Suamataia took some lumps in the first two preseason games before settling in for a clean sheet in the third look against the Bears.
Though the training camp rep counts never indicated anything otherwise, Suamataia had done it: he would enter 2025 as the Chiefs’ starting left guard.
The first test? A Friday night season opener against the L.A. Chargers in Brazil.
“(Suamataia) had a good training camp,” Reid said before that game. “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.”
Now playing as a guard, Suamataia looked more comfortable against the Chargers, allowing three pressures but no sacks.
“I think (it all clicked) after the first game we played the Chargers,” he said. “It was our first game in Brazil, had some stuff to clean up on, and then that second week rolling in and moving forward, that’s when it really all clicked in.”
Suamataia allowed a sack in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles, but then he didn’t allow another until Week 16, when the Chiefs were playing with a backup quarterback against the Tennessee Titans.
In total this season, Suamataia allowed just three sacks in 1,091 snaps, second only to Humphrey (1,093) in terms of offensive playtime.
“He’s been awesome this year,” Humphrey said. “Seeing him just improve at a new position he’s never played, improve each week throughout the season… It’s been a blast playing with him this season, getting to know him better, playing right by him, things like that. Great teammate, great person, great football player.” It’s one thing coming from a two-time All-Pro, but Reid saw the growth, too.
“I thought he did a nice job throughout the year,” Reid said. “(He) got better every game. There was that stretch there where we went against a lot of the good defenses and good defensive lines. … He’s had a nice test against the best, and he’s held up pretty good.”
The next step? Come back ‘an animal’
Nearly everything went wrong in 2025 for the Super Bowl-or-bust Chiefs. They finished the season 6-11.
Suamataia holding up was one of the few things that went right.
In addition to Reid, Suamataia’s position coach, Andy Heck, believes he is in for a strong career inside. Likely departing offensive coordinator Matt Nagy added that Suamataia’s communication skills now match the athletic ability the Chiefs saw in him when he was coming out of BYU.
Entering an offseason that will bring more questions, Suamataia looks like an answer. He’s described the last two years as a “blessing.”
Now all that’s left is to simply build upon his turnaround.
“Just come back an animal,” he said of his goal for 2026. “Obviously everybody got to see a little glimpse, but it really put my name out there. This is my third year coming up.
“It’s crazy how time flies by, but I definitely want to come back a different animal.”
