The Kansas City Chiefs knew change was coming up front this offseason.
When the Chiefs traded All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears in a cost-saving move, it opened the door for fresh competition at left guard. That's where second-year tackle-turned-guard Kingsley Suamataia and former undrafted free agent Mike Caliendo are now battling for a starting role.
For Caliendo, who came into the league as an unheralded prospect out of Western Michigan, he's already given the Chiefs more than anyone could have predicted.. After a rash of injuries forced Thuney to shift to left tackle, Caliendo stepped in at guard and even held down the role in Super Bowl LIX.
On Wednesday, Caliendo spoke to reporters about the experience of stepping in last year and admitted it was a good learning experience.
Mike Caliendo spoke to reporters from Chiefs minicamp on Wednesday.
“Going undrafted and getting that type of experience is pretty rare, to be honest,” Caliendo said this week at Chiefs minicamp. “Failing is growth, and just trust in that… Losing is learning.”
The Chiefs ultimately fell short of a historic three-peat, but the postseason reps were an invaluable proving ground for Caliendo. According to head coach Andy Reid, Caliendo is now firmly in the mix alongside Suamataia, a second-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft who spent most of his rookie year learning on the sidelines.
“Kingsley’s been awesome,” said Caliendo. “He’s been really focused in on perfecting his craft, and it’s been fun to watch him get in there at guard and really do a great job. It’s fun helping him out, and he’s helping me out at the same time.”
While Suamataia entered the NFL with a higher ceiling and more pedigree, Caliendo has the advantage of experience, not just in terms of game action but from the steady mentorship he received from Thuney last season.
“[Thuney] taught me so much and took me from the player I was coming out of Western Michigan to being able to start in an NFL game,” said Caliendo. “He was an incredible leader.”
Now, with Thuney gone, the competition is wide open. And while both Caliendo and Suamataia are still learning on the job, they’re part of a young, high-upside interior line room led by veterans Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith.
“At the end of the day, I think our whole room is just trying to change our best every single day,” Caliendo said. “That’s what our focus is right now… just continuing to bring everybody up and continue to get better.”
The memory of last season’s final loss still lingers, but Caliendo is channeling it as fuel for the long road ahead.
“I hope I can use [the Super Bowl loss] as inspiration for the rest of my life,” he said. “Adversity like that’s not easy to handle, but all you can do is learn from it and move on.”
