Kansas City Chiefs: Is the franchise quarterback on the roster?

Quarterback has been a position that has caused countless Kansas City Chiefs fans untold amounts of grief and frustration. Alex Smith has been a serviceable quarterback for the last two years, and it appears he has a few more years in the tank. That being said, is the future franchise quarterback on the roster?

Chase Daniel has proved over the past two seasons he can come in and win games. His first start with Kansas City was in a game that ultimately didn’t mean anything, but he gave the Chiefs a chance to knock the San Diego Chargers out of the playoffs. It was a tough overtime loss, but Daniel did distribute the ball and made minimal mistakes. When a quarterback is surrounded by talent, that is all he needs to do. Last season he was able to beat the Chargers when Smith went down with a spleen injury. He would have put the Chiefs in the playoffs if they wouldn’t have dropped games against teams they should have beat.

While Daniel could be a good quarterback in the NFL, time just isn’t on his side. He turns 29 years old in October and it may be too late to build a franchise around him. Daniel could be a good game-manager and won’t make too many mistakes, but he probably won’t go out and win a game for you by himself.

Tyler Bray is an exciting prospect for Kansas City. He has a big arm and can make all the big throws. However, decision-making can be an issue as he compounds mistakes. It is hard to get a good sense of what he can bring to the franchise when all of his playing time has come in the preseason. If something were ever to happen to Daniel, a competition between Bray and Aaron Murray could lead to Bray getting meaningful playing time. This is when Chiefs fans will be able to get a good sense of what he brings to the table.

He isn’t outstanding athletically, but neither is Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. He has the arm to make all the throws he needs in the NFL. If he is given a chance in the regular season or during a blowout he may just surprise some people. Could he be franchise quarterback? Possibly. Could he be a good quarterback in the NFL? Absolutely. Will we ever get the chance to find out? I sure hope so.

I have read some arguments that Murray may be the quarterback for the Chiefs to build around. I can definitely see his appeal. He was the face of Georgia football for four years and holds a ton of records there. He proved at the college level he has what it takes to be the face of an organization. He didn’t make a ton of mistakes at Georgia, but he lacks the arm strength of Bray. What he lacks in arm strength he makes up for in decision-making and consistency.

If that can translate to the NFL, I can’t say. But there is nothing to say that he can’t come in and win ball games in the league. Physically he isn’t as tall as Bray and may struggle seeing over a tall offensive line, but watching Drew Brees play proves that doesn’t mean anything. Unfortunately, like Bray, it is going to take an injury to find out what Murray will really bring to the table.

After looking at the list of quarterbacks that Kansas City has at its disposal, I don’t think it is impossible to say that the quarterback general manager John Dorsey is going to build the future around is on the roster.

I would put my money on Murray. Daniel is getting close to 30 and is lacking in meaningful experience. Bray has all the physical tools but he could lose a game with poor decision-making. Murray has the tools and personality of a go-to guy. Dorsey and Andy Reid will still draft quarterbacks in the coming years to make some competition, but the quarterback situation is Kansas City isn’t as hopeless as people think.