By only looking at their 3-0 record, one might think everything is just fine with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes know the team still has plenty of work to do in the 2024 NFL season.
Reid, in fact, wasn’t satisfied even after the Chiefs‘ 2-0 start to the campaign, which is why he benched rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia for the Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead, it was second-year tackle Wanya Morris who played from the get-go, and it looks like he made a great impression on the coach. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Reid all but confirmed that he’ll continue to trust in Morris to protect Mahomes‘ blindside.
“I thought Wanya did some good things in there,” Reid said, via Arrowhead Pride. “So, we’ll probably stick with that same thing you saw, where Kingsley [Suamataia] rotated in and played some tight end into that. He was able to get some good reps in there. And again, Wanya had the good reps at the left tackle spot.”
Reid says both Morris, Suamataia are important in Chiefs’ O-line
Morris did a great job in all 74 snaps with the starting O-line during the 22-17 win in Atlanta. His promotion on the depth chart came after Suamatai’s inconsistent start to life in the NFL.
The 21-year-old, who was selected by the Chiefs with the 63rd overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, made some penalties and allowed multiple pressures in his first two starts.
Reid reacted to this situation by benching Suamataia, though he’s not throwing the rookie under the bus. According to the Chiefs head coach, the BYU product will still get to play an important role in protecting Mahomes.
“They’re young guys in a tough position with a tough go here, and they’ve got another good one coming this week that they’ve got to prep for — a couple of good ones. We’ve got make sure we keep growing, but they’re surely getting tested early,” Reid said of Suamataia and Morris.