The Chiefs have a minor emergency at back-up quarterback

The Kansas City Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and then… a giant hole on the roster that looks to be very important given the team’s offensive emphasis.

There’s Patrick Mahomes and then a vacuum.

One look at the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart shows tremendous promise atop the quarterback section, perhaps the most exciting young quarterback in team history. Unfortunately from there, there’s literally not a single player. No Alex Smith, of course. No Tyler Bray, for now.

Even Joel Stave is nowhere to be found. (He’s with the New York Jets.)

There’s no reason to panic at this point because we all know that plenty of roster construction will continue to happen in the days, weeks and even months ahead. There are bigger fish to fry for now (turn to pages labeled “defensive line” and “safety”), but that doesn’t mean that the lack of depth on the depth chart isn’t a bit concerning.

Chase Daniel just signed with the Chicago Bears. Josh McCown also re-upped with the Jets. That’s two potential veteran backups—the best two, to be frank—who could have filled in a valuable role to not only mentor Patrick Mahomes but provide insurance in case something tragic were to happen (God forbid).

Are there others available? Absolutely, but to this point the only buzz concerning the Chiefs and quarterbacks is a rumored longing to bring back Tyler Bray. That’s the wrong move.

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At this point, no one believes that Bray is starting material in the NFL and he lacks the experience to step in as a No. 2. Is there anyone, Chiefs coaches included, who wants Bray to be one snap away from captaining this high octane offense?

Bringing back Bray only takes up the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with a quarterback who might know the system but has a proven ceiling. That’s the opposite of what you want in a No. 3 quarterback, which is better served with a rookie drafted this year who can learn the system while the team learns about his ceiling.

(For any Bray defenders who claim we do not know his ceiling, know that the Chiefs have watched him in practice, day in and day out, for five years and still traded like they did to land Patrick Mahomes. If Bray even had any potential at being a solid NFL starter, the Chiefs would have tested the goods before letting them walk in free agency. Quarterbacks are way too important.)

If we trust the rumors, that means the Chiefs have no current options at No. 2 and the wrong guy returning at No. 3.

There’s certainly plenty of time for a new player acquisition, and retaining Bray on the cheap doesn’t preclude the Chiefs from grabbing a prospect in the draft for competition. But right now, it’s important to note that the Chiefs have gone all in on their offense. A team can improve by strengthening a weakness or pouring fuel on a fire already burning, and the latter is what they’ve done with the Sammy Watkins signing.

It’s time for the Chiefs to make sure there’s not an insane drop in talent to steer that ship if something happens to Mahomes.

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