Blaine Gabbert’s contract proves he’s not guaranteed backup QB role for Chiefs
By Matt Conner
Blaine Gabbert’s contractual terms were just released and it’s clear now that he’s not been promised anything with regards to the backup QB role.
Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran quarterback Blaine Gabbert to join the team, the first move at the position ever since Chad Henne retired following the team’s victory in Super Bowl LVII. Some fans assumed Gabbert would move straight into Henne’s vacated role as QB2 for the Chiefs, but the terms of his contract, made known on Friday, make it clear that is not the case.
That’s not to say that Gabbert won’t be the backup quarterback in 2023 behind Patrick Mahomes. Rather, it simply means that the Chiefs brought Gabbert in to compete for the role instead of it being handed to him outright.
QB Blaine Gabbert's one-year deal with Chiefs is a veteran salary benefit contract -- minimum salary of $1.165 million plus $152,500 in bonus. He made $2.25 million with the Bucs last season.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 20, 2023
Remember that the Chiefs were already high on the talents of Shane Buechele coming into this offseason, and general manager Brett Veach even stated as much in his press conference earlier this week. Buechele has been a healthy scratch on the active roster for the entire 2022 season, a move the Chiefs clearly felt they had to make (and keep making) because other teams would have been interested in Buechele enough to sign him away, if left on the practice squad.
Buechele now knows the competition he has to beat for the Chiefs to feel good about having him on the roster as QB2. It’s a big step up for Buechele, but the Chiefs clearly see something special in Buechele to keep him around as they have.