Andy Reid benches Kingsley Suamataia again vs. Broncos

Reid got asked about it after the game and again on Monday. Both times he gave the same answer, and it explained nothing.

Nate Taylor

@ByNateTaylor

Andy Reid's quote: “This is just between Kingsley & I. It’s not something that’s earth shattering. I’ll just keep it there. … I didn’t say it was punishment, ever. This was just between Kingsley & I working some things out here. This isn’t punishment. I’ll leave it at that.”

Nate Taylor

@ByNateTaylor

Andy Reid also said the decision to not play Kingsley Suamataia on offense was not punishment related.

"I didn't say it was punishment, ever." OK, coach. But you don't bench a starting lineman twice in a month because things are fine. The first time was Week 4, when Mike Caliendo started at left guard in the win over the Raiders and Reid used the same "between Kingsley and I" line. 4 weeks later Caliendo was in at left guard again, this time against Denver. Whatever is getting worked out, it clearly isn't worked out yet.

Inside the building nobody seems to know either. Travis Kelce got the question in the locker room and backed his teammate without pretending he knew what was going on.

Nate Taylor

@ByNateTaylor

Travis Kelce: “He’s family. Everybody has their own road. We love Kingsley, we think he’s a hell of a player. At this time, I’m not even sure what the scenario is. I’m rolling with whoever we’ve got in that game. I’m sure Kingsley is drooling, trying to get back out there."

Nate Taylor

@ByNateTaylor

I’ll provide the full quote here shortly, but Travis Kelce said he wasn’t sure what the issue is with Kingsley Suamataia getting benched twice within the past month. “We love Kingsley,” Kelce said.

That's a good teammate answer, and it's also a big tell. If the longest-tenured guy in the room is "not even sure what the scenario is," it's being kept between Reid and Suamataia for real. From the outside that leaves 2 options: a private discipline issue Reid won't call discipline, or something about Suamataia's play or prep the staff wants fixed before he gets his job back. Reid has always kept this kind of thing in-house, so don't expect him to say which.

What makes the benching sting is how the game ended. Kansas City had a shot to win it late, and then a flag on the line wiped the play out. Right tackle Jaylon Moore was called for a false start with 4 seconds left, and he owned it after the game.

Nate Taylor

@ByNateTaylor

Jaylon Moore on his false start with 4 seconds left: “I mean, I’ve just got to be better. I still haven’t gotten a chance to look at it, but, regardless, I’ve just got to be better. With [the game] being so tight, the situation that it was, it just hurts even more.”

Reid said he didn't see a false start, only Moore moving his head. Albert Breer called the flag tough, pointing out that Mahomes had Rashee Rice on the play and that the penalty also took that play away for the next snap. Reid also brought up more than 100 yards in penalties as the bigger problem. That isn't on Suamataia, who wasn't out there. But the line was patched together in a 4-point loss, so the questions about why a starter sat are going to get louder.

Albert Breer

@AlbertBreer

Broncos/Chiefs pretty epic. That flag on Jaylon Moore's tough. Mahomes had Rice, and it also takes that play off the table for the next play. Great comeback for a tough, tough Denver team.

Next up: Suamataia either gets back in at left guard next week or he doesn't. If Caliendo starts a 3rd time, "between Kingsley and I" stops being a private matter and turns into a depth chart decision, and Reid is going to get asked about it every single week until he says more.