For a few years, the Kansas City Chiefs have had a confusing offensive line. On the interior, the trio of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith was perhaps the best in football. On the outside, however, the tackle spots were far from perfect.
The latter might remain true, although improvement figures to be on the horizon. But with Thuney now a member of the Chicago Bears, a new starter will take over at left guard. Ironically, it’s tracking to be 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia, who was originally selected as a left tackle. He and veteran Mike Caliendo make up the clear-cut primary duo at the position.
Despite the left guard plans seeming set in stone, in some order, one analyst isn’t sold. In his list of biggest remaining needs for every AFC team, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports made the case for more competition being added at guard.
Analyst Argues for Addition at Guard Spot Despite Clear Starters
According to Edwards, acquiring a veteran presence makes sense.
“Kansas City has added some competition along its offensive line by signing Jaylon Moore and drafting Josh Simmons after trading away Joe Thuney,” Edwards wrote. “The left guard spot vacated by Thuney is currently filled by Kingsley Suamataia. At the very least, the Chiefs should add competition in that role.”
To Edwards’ defense, there are some intriguing options left on the market. Interior offensive linemen like Brandon Scherff, Will Hernandez and Shaq Mason would all be valuable additions to some degree. With training camp approaching, it’s also a common time for one last wave of free agents to find their 2025-26 homes.
Edwards did briefly touch on a couple of other spots. He believes Kansas City would be wise to consider a bit of depth at running back and defensive tackle.
“Running back would be another consideration if the Chiefs had not shown a willingness to invest little in the position since Clyde Edwards-Helaire did not pan out,” Edwards wrote. “Defensive tackle rounds out the top three.”
Best Path for Chiefs Is to Stand Pat With Current Guard Rotation
With all of that said, it simply doesn’t seem smart for the Chiefs’ to add another guard yet. Doing so for purely a depth reasons is fine, but that isn’t what Edwards is campaigning for. Suamataia and Caliendo are already entrenched on the left side. At right guard, Smith is backed up by 2024 seventh-round pick C.J. Hanson. Framing things as a battle for roster positioning with Hanson would’ve been more logical.
For better or worse, the Chiefs should sleep in the bed they made. By trading Thuney and announcing Suamataia’s transition to guard, they made their plans perfectly clear. The BYU product had a whirlwind of a rookie season, as he started out of the gate at left tackle but didn’t last long. After getting benched, he returned for Week 18 but played guard. That cameo, apparently, gave Kansas City the confidence they needed to shed payroll and usher in a new era.
The Chiefs will pitch this as a real competition between Suamataia and Caliendo. It’s the fair thing to do with a veteran player in the fold. Most expect the former to earn the starting job, though. If all else fails, Caliendo has some experience under his belt. He’ll be the backup plan.
Edwards’ scenario only makes sense if there’s an injury. Until then, expect that guard rotation to remain mostly the same.
