The Kansas City Chiefs added some insurance to their quarterback position this offseason, hedging against the possibility that Patrick Mahomes may not be ready to start the season.
But with Mahomes making good progress on his torn ACL and well on track to start in Week 1, the Chiefs could now face a difficult decision with the surplus of signal-callers behind him.
Chiefs Expected to Roster Three Quarterbacks This Season
The Chiefs traded for former first-round pick Justin Fields in the offseason, then added rookie Garrett Nussmeier late in the NFL draft. With practice squad regular Chris Oladokun also in the mix, the Chiefs will have more quarterbacks than roster spots available for them.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton made some early predictions for the league’s class of rookie quarterbacks, predicting the Chiefs could be locked into keeping Nussmeier on the active roster.
“Listed at 6’2″, 205 pounds on the Kansas City Chiefs’ official website, Nussmeier is a bit undersized relative to pro-level signal-callers,” Moton wrote. “Yet if he’s healthy after the preseason, the Chiefs may want to lock him into a roster spot rather than expose him to waivers.”
Moton added that there isn’t much room for movement in the depth chart, with a fully healthy Mahomes back on top and Fields as the insurance policy in case he goes down again.
“Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields, whom the team acquired from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, should be the top two signal-callers,” Moton wrote. “For most of his four-year career, Chris Oladokun has been on Kansas City’s practice squad and will likely remain there this year. Nussmeier earns the No. 3 spot as a developmental signal-caller with upside.”
Garrett Nussmeier Facing Big Opportunity
Nussmeier could get more chances to prove himself in the coming weeks. The Chiefs are expected to take a careful approach with Mahomes as he returns to full health, likely keeping him out of the preseason.
Though Chiefs head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t make any definitive statements, he hinted heavily that Mahomes would not take the field until the start of Week 1.
âThereâs a pretty good chance I donât play him. Percentages are leading that way,â Reid said, via The Athletic. âAnd I donât know if Iâll play him the second or third game. I donât know that. But percentages probably lean against doing that, and letting the other guys. ⦠Weâve got new people in those other positions behind him that need some work. The more reps they get, the better.â
Nussmeier said he would be ready to take on as much time as needed in the preseason, saying he’s already been learning a lot behind two veterans in Mahomes and Fields.
âItâs been awesome,â Nussmeier said, via SB Nation’s Arrowhead Pride. âItâs a lot of thinking. Thereâs a lot of complexity in our offense. Thatâs how I would want it as a quarterback. Iâm a coachâs kid. Iâm a kid who has grown up around this game. I love the different schemes. I love the different ways to attack. We do so many different awesome things here. Itâs been awesome for me and a good challenge for me â and itâs helped me grow my knowledge of the game.â
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