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Chiefs OC Matt Nagy had high praise for LG Kingsley Suamataia entering Week 5.
Somehow, the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 0-2 start to the season feels like thing of the distant past. Thanks to consecutive wins over the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens, head coach Andy Reid’s crew is back to .500.
The latter contest was Kansas City’s most impressive of the year. That can be said for several of their players, too, especially on the offensive line.
Ahead of Week 5’s battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars, left guard Kingsley Suamataia is getting plenty of praise from his coaches.
Matt Nagy Tips Cap to Kingsley Suamataia for ‘Special’ Week 4 Performance
Speaking to the media on Friday, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy tipped his cap to Suamataia for a job well done. Many believe it was Suamataia’s best game as a pro, which Nagy describes as a “special” showing.
There’s no shortage of applause for the 2024 second-round pick.
“It’s a beautiful thing when you get those guys on the front end there doing what they did this last game,” Nagy said. “It’s going to happen intermittently at times. There are still going to be some times where there are some hiccups and he learns on the run. Really, really special game that he put together.
“For anybody and anything that we do in life, when you have confidence and you can play fast and you start believing more and more, it’s infectious. I think that left side, those young guys continuing to have that, it just moves on to the back end with your quarterback, your coaches, your running backs, everybody else, it’s good.”
The advanced stats reflected a bang-up job for Suamataia in Week 4. According to Pro Football Focus, his overall offense grade (73.3) and pass blocking grade (88.2) were the highest of his 2025-26 campaign. They also marked the best figures of his professional career dating back to last season.
Sunday served as the first time Suamataia played a full workload and didn’t allow a single pressure. By just about every account, it was a game to remember. Facing a depleted Ravens defensive line helped, surely, but the BYU product got the job done and is reaping the rewards.
Nagy Explains Obvious Development for Suamataia in Chiefs’ Scheme
Suamataia, the 63rd overall NFL Draft pick a year ago, struggled immensely as a rookie. In year one on the job, he flashed upside in the preseason but lasted just two weeks into the regular season before being benched. The rest of the year, for the most part, was spent with him on the bench. He resurfaced in Week 18’s regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos, doing so at guard instead of tackle.
During the offseason, the Chiefs made it clear that Suamataia was making that transition. As recently as August’s preseason stretch, he admitted he was “just starting to get the feel of that guard stuff.” That didn’t exactly inspire confidence in fans of Kansas City football, especially considering he was taking over for All-Pro Joe Thuney.
The progression is obvious, though. Nagy believes Suamataia is playing — and practicing — faster and letting his instincts take over.
“Less mental errors,” Nagy said. “Communication-wise, being able to just recover if he gets beat. It could be as simple as a six-inch step. Just playing strong, you know? Just playing confident. I think in practice, you feel it too. It doesn’t just happen on game day. He’s putting together some consecutive good practices.”
Neither Suamataia nor rookie first-round tackle Josh Simmons is out of the woods yet. Both players have room to grow, as does the Chiefs‘ offensive line. According to ESPN, the front five is 19th in pass block win rate and dead last in run block win rate. A showdown with a feisty Jaguars pass rush on Monday Night Football will be a nice test.
If Nagy’s assessment is right, Kansas City may have real solutions at four of five O-line spots.
Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote
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