The Kansas City Chiefs needed to land a new backup quarterback behind their stalwart leader in Patrick Mahomes in the early stages of the 2025 NFL offseason. With Carson Wentz unlikely to return, it appears as though they decided to pilfer a division rival for their next clipboard holder.
The signing of Wentz last year could signify that Brett Veach is eyeing former fringe starters with some plus upside in the event Mahomes is out for a brief stretch. That line of thinking helped them steal an ideal backup away from one of their division rivals.
The Chiefs have agreed to a one-year deal with Gardner Minshew, who spent last season as the starting quarterback for a good chunk of games with Antonio Pierce's doomed-to-failure Las Vegas Raiders. With Wentz likely not coming back, Mahomes has his backup for 2025 and possibly beyond locked in.
Chiefs sign Gardner Minshew away from Raiders to be backup QB
Minshew, who was released with a failed physical designation, has thrown for just under 12,000 yards and 68 touchdowns against just 34 interceptions in his career. The former sixth-round pick has bounced around as a spot starter on bad teams (Jaguars, Raiders) or a high-end backup on fringe playoff squads (Eagles, Colts).
Minshew's last two seasons are a bit of a journey to analyze. Playing most of the season in Indianapolis, Minshew put up 3,300 yards passing in 13 starts and was one game away from making it to the playoffs. With the Raiders, the normally turnover-averse Minshew threw more picks (10) than touchdowns (9) and started just nine games, winning two.
Ideally, Minshew will never play a snap in a game with meaningful expectations with Kansas City. However, it pays to have good insurance when the worst case scenarios happen, and Minshew has shown he can do more than just manage a game when he is called into action.
While any Chiefs that involves Minshew playing a majority of games will likely not end in postseason hardware, there is something to be said for having a player that can give the offense a certain degree of spark like the eccentric Minshew can.
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