Andy Reid’s body of work with quarterbacks drew Jordan Ta’amu

New Chiefs quarterback Jordan Ta’amu says he chose Kansas City due to Andy Reid’s body of work with quarterbacks as a head coach.

If anyone in the National Football League deserves the term “quarterback whisperer,” it’s likely Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. His ability to coax the best out of each of his quarterbacks has been an ongoing theme in the NFL with 21 years of results to prove it. It’s the very reason why new Chiefs quarterback Jordan Ta’amu says he signed with K.C. in the first place.

The Chiefs haven’t made many moves thus far in free agency, but that’s not surprising. Their financial limitations with the salary cap as well as the fact that they’re already loaded with talent as the defending Super Bowl champions has kept them from making major splashes. Instead, minor signings have peppered the transaction wire in the Chiefs name, one of which was the addition of Ta’amu from the XFL.

Ta’amu was the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Battlehawks across the state when the XFL was forced to shut down operations due to the coronavirus epidemic, like every other sport. Once the season was abbreviated, its players were free to sign with NFL teams and Ta’amu recently told the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi that he had a couple options before him. From there, Andy Reid was the deciding factor.

"“I talked to my agent and he had it down to two teams and the Chiefs were one of them. He told me the Chiefs could be a better opportunity with Andy Reid developing young quarterbacks and sitting down behind Patrick Mahomes and watching him for a few years. As soon as I heard that, I was 100% all in.”"

Reid’s body of work goes far beyond turning Patrick Mahomes into an MVP in his first full year as a starting quarterback. He also elevated Alex Smith‘s play as a starter into a consistent winner and even a nice deep threat. He did the same with star players like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb and even the likes of Nick Foles, Kevin Kolb and A.J. Feeley.

Ta’amu now joins a Chiefs team with Mahomes as the starter and a veteran backup in Chad Henne. Kyle Shurmur is present as an undrafted free agent from last season who remained on the practice squad all year and will be the primary competition for Ta’amu in training camp (if there is one) for preseason reps and a chance to be the developmental quarterback on the roster.

Ta’amu was a two-year starter at Ole Miss and had 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2018-19. With the Battlehawks, he went 3-2 as a starter with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He led the XFL through five games in completion percentage (72%) and yards/attempt (7.2). He also tacked on 41 rushes for 217 rushing yards—good for a 5.3 yards/carry average.