If the Kansas City Chiefs’ postseason heartbreak wasn’t enough, the team continues to hear worse news about their players. This time, while it is not an injury, an incident from their Week 17 game against the Denver Broncos has attracted disciplinary action from the NFL for their second-year player, Kingsley Suamataia.

On January 3, the NFL released its Gameday Accountability report, charging KC’s left guard, Kingsley Suamataia, for unnecessary roughness for “striking, kicking, tripping, or kneeing” a Broncos player in the second quarter. As a result, the league fined him $8,108. He has not yet appealed against the league’s decision.

The moment came in the second quarter, with 12:49 on the clock. KC’s Harrison Butker was kicking a field goal to improve his team to 3-7, Chiefs. However, right after that, the referees threw a flag on the field. While the incident wasn’t shown on the broadcast, the referee gave an offsetting 15-yard penalty to Suamataia and the Broncos’ John Franklin-Myers. 

While the NFL fined the Chiefs’ tackle, Franklin-Myers flew under their radar. In fact, no one from Denver got fined that week. But for Suamataia, too, penalties have been rare.

This season, he was penalized six times for forty yards. He was previously charged $8,108 against the Indianapolis Colts for a blindside block. With the Week 17 fine, he brought his total for the season to $16,216.

In contrast, the 63rd overall pick was penalized four times for thirty yards combined in his rookie season. However, this was his first penalty for unnecessary roughness.

Still, context matters. Kingsley Suamataia arrived as a second-round pick out of BYU in 2024 and has grown fast. Suamataia’s sophomore season has been quietly impressive for the Chiefs. He started all 16 games and logged over 1,000 offensive snaps. Through a turbulent 6-10 season, the tackle has proven poise and promise.

However, this amount would be minuscule if he continues to keep them under control, as the Chiefs are still fighting for their pride as their regular season comes to an end with one more game left on the schedule.

The Chiefs wrap up their regular season at home with one more game to go

The 2025 season was supposed to be KC’s rebound year after their Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, with many ups and downs and an injury-plagued roster, they ended their home run with a disappointing loss. Now, they have another game that they will play for nothing but pride and respect.

Interestingly, the hosting team, the Las Vegas Raiders, is also on a similar page. However, they have more incentives to watch out for, especially if they lose. The fourth team in the AFC West, with a 3-14 record, will be looking to win like any other team. But if they lose, they will have a more straightforward path to the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Yet, it hasn’t stopped their defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, from wishing KC’s tight end Travis Kelce the worst for his possible final game of his NFL career. The KC No. 87 might be retiring after this season, with his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, already sidelined until the next season with an ACL tear. However, he won’t be helping the Chiefs’ worst rivals in any way either. With just one more game to go, it will be interesting to see how both teams end their season.

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