NFL
Andy Reid makes tough decision to bench starter before the Chiefs’ game against the Chargers
The Chiefs coach has made his authority known ahead of the crunch game against the Chargers in the 2024 NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has made the tough decision to bench one of his usual starters, right before the difficult tie against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Just three games into the NFL season, the Chiefs have for the most part had a hugely promising start, with their latest result a thumping 22-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
However, despite being 3-0, the left tackle position has been an area of concern for the side (as well as Travis Kelce), and Reid announced on Monday that Morris will start their Week 4 game against their Los Angeles opponents. This strong decision means that Kingsley Suamataia will not feature when the two sides kick-off on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at SoFi Stadium (4:25pm ET).
“They’re young guys in a tough position”
“I thought Wanya did some good things in there,” Reid said before admitting that “we’ll probably stick with that same thing. You saw where Kingsley rotated in and played some tight end, so he was able to get some good reps in there and then, again, Wanya had the good reps at the left tackle spot.”
“Do they both have stuff to work on? Yes,” the coach added. “They’re young guys. They’re young guys in a tough position with a tough go here, and they’ve got another good one coming here this week that they’ve got to prep for. A couple good ones. So, we’ve got to make sure we keep growing, but they’re surely getting tested early.”
Ahead of the win against the Falcons, Reid had said of Suamataia that he “needed to take a step back to take a step forward. We haven’t lost confidence in him. He was going against a good player, and he’s got to learn from it.”
Despite Reid’s assurances that the player has a future at the franchise, many have now put his potential into question, with the 21-year-old going through his first year at the elite level of the sport. He was drafted in for the Chiefs in the second round at number 63. The discussion between the two young players will likely continue throughout the season as the Chiefs look to add a another championship victory onto their fantastic recent run of success. The Chiefs take on the Chargers on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at SoFi Stadium (4:25pm ET).