The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to have a rare draft bust on their hands after the first season of Kingsley Suamataia ended with the tackle on the bench. However, a year two move to the inside proved to be a drastic improvement, with Suamataia shifting to left guard and only giving up a trio of sacks in 1,089 snaps played. All of a sudden, there is reason to wonder if Kansas City is getting ready to watch the now left guard take a year three leap.
Suamataia went from a clear bust to a viable starter in just one season, leaving fans hopeful that year three contains a similar trajectory. One that could offer KC incredible stability on the inside with Josh Simmons in his second season, who is expected to make a similar jump. No question, the left side of Kansas City's line has a chance to swing the team's season.
One clear area of improvement for Suamataia in year three is dropping his penalty number, with six calls going against the left guard in the 2025 season. This is far too many mistakes for a player replacing current Chicago Bears guard and Kansas City Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney.
The veteran spent last season in Chicago and was only flagged twice. This is the type of clean season that Suamataia is going to need to play in 2026 to continue to take the expected leap. One that could give Kansas City fans one of the league's better offensive lines.
Chiefs fans can't help but hope for year three leap for Kingsley Suamataia
Suamataia played the most pass protection snaps in the league at 724, pointing to his durability and the incredible experienced earned a season ago. Now, not only does the guard have a season under his belt, but he will also benefit from Kansas City's offseason coaching changes, which clearly hand the third-year player a chance to take a leap.
The right side of Kansas City's line, as well as the center position are cemented with veterans expected to play at an elite level. If Suamataia is able to take this same jump, all of a sudden, a past position group of concern becomes a clear area the franchise can lean on in the 2026 season.
While it's hard to imagine a player who got benched in 2024 to undergo a drastic improvement and change his trajectory, the NFL moves fast, and Suamataia has proven that it's at least on the table. One that would offer fans a fun story and an incredibly reliable offensive line capable of protecting Patrick Mahomes at an elite level as the quarterback returns from the first serious injury of his career.
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