Chiefs fans spent Sunday wondering about one of the more curious lineup changes in Las Vegas: Kingsley Suamataia was out of the starting lineup at left guard, and Mike Caliendo took his place against the Raiders.
At Allegiant Stadium, multiple people in attendance said the move was a “coaching decision.” Suamataia, a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, did not get the start in the AFC West matchup between 3-0 teams, and the Chiefs also had trouble in short-yardage situations during the first quarter.
That was enough to send fans searching for answers.
“Some kind of disciplinary punishment would still fall under ‘coaching decision’, no?” a fan named Tyler Kalmus wrote on X.
A fan on Reddit added: “Please Andy, let Kingsley start after halftime. Whatever the issue is, I promise he learned his lesson. And more importantly, Pat and Walker are getting punished for whatever message it is we’re suppose to be sending to Kingsley.”
Another Reddit post put it more bluntly: “Cannot wait to hear the reason we benched a starter on the already lackluster left side of the line.”
Former Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen jumped in with a joke of his own: “He’s being punished for his TikTok dances. That has to be the reason.
Quite frankly, I understand. 🤣”
Other fans tied the decision directly to the offense’s struggles up front.
“We’ve not been able to convert short yards all day, nothing inside going. Whatever this ‘coaching decision’ on Caliendo over Kingsley … coach decision it back please,” a fan with the handle KC Chief UK wrote on X.
Another fan named Megan wrote: “how many times does Pat have to end up on the ground for them to put Kingsley back in?? This is getting ridiculous”
One more added: “Let’s keep Kingsley on the bench at the expense of Pat getting murdered on the field.”
And the demand for an explanation kept coming: “The reason to not start Kingsley better be something crazy,” a fan demanded.
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The Chiefs Week 4 win over the Raiders came with an offensive line adjustment that raised eyebrows before and after the final whistle. Kansas City replaced starting left guard Kingsley Suamataia with veteran Mike Caliendo, and Andy Reid confirmed afterward that it was a coaching decision without offering much beyond that, calling it a private matter between him and Suamataia.
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