Offensive free agents that make sense for KC Chiefs

Chiefs’ Options at Quarterback

Shane Buechele (ERFA)

With the retirement of Chad Henne, the Chiefs now have a considerable hole at the backup quarterback position. That leaves Patrick Mahomes and former Texas-SMU product Shane Buechele on the active roster. Buechele joined the team as an undrafted free agent in May 2021.

Here are Buechele’s numbers in two preseason campaigns:

CMP                ATT                PCT                 TD                   INT                 Rating

68                   106                 64%                  6                      3                     92.3

The Chiefs’ coaching staff clearly like what they’ve seen thus far. I suspect the team will want a more seasoned quarterback for the backup role, but I think there’s a good chance the third-year man slated to become an exclusive rights free agent sticks around for another season.

Jacoby Brissett

Brissett, a veteran of four different NFL teams, seems more like the kind of quarterback the Chiefs would covet for their backup role. The 30-year-old journeyman has played for the Patriots, Colts, Dolphins, and most recently the Browns. Brissett is just 18-30 as an NFL starter, but he has as much experience as you’re likely to find on the market this offseason.

As a quarterback, Brissett is little more than a game manager, but that’s all Kansas City has needed from prior backups Matt Moore and Chad Henne in years past. Spotrac has Brissett’s market value at roughly $5.4 million per season, which might be a bit rich for Kansas City’s blood, but maybe that’s a lesser concern on a one-year deal.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew, a former sixth-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, has experience both as a starter and as a backup. He’s spent the past two seasons in Philadelphia behind Jalen Hurts. Minshew will be just 27 when the new season starts, but he has enough game experience to be an intriguing option for Kansas City.

In Hurts’ stead, Minshew lost both outings as a starter but did help the Eagles keep their divisional matchup with the Dallas Cowboys close. Under him, Philly would score 34 points in Week 16 performance that saw him post 24-of-40, 355 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Despite the relative lack of success, Minshew has the highest career passer rating of the four quarterbacks mentioned here.

Taylor Heinicke

While we’re on the subject of NFC East options, Washington Commander Taylor Heinicke is another candidate who might be worth a look in Kansas City. The Lawrenceville, Georgia native has made the rounds in the National Football League with stints in Houston, Carolina, and Washington. Over the course of his five-year career, he’s 12-12-1 and is the only QB on this list with viable postseason experience. In 2020, Heinicke made the start in the 23-31 Wildcard Round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Incidentally, Heinicke was at the helm in Week 10 when the Commanders handed the Eagles one of just three regular-season losses in 2022.