Quarterback battle and Kansas City Chiefs haven't belonged in the same sentence in a very long time, at least not when it comes to the starting job. Patrick Mahomes has that locked down for the foreseeable future.
Even the backup quarterback is usually pretty obvious considering the kinds of players the Chiefs have had in that role in recent years. So for Chiefs fans wanting to discuss any kind of quarterback competition, the third-string battle is as good as it's going to get.
This year, the Chiefs have two guys striving for the QB3 job in Kansas City. Those players are Chris Oladokun and Bailey Zappe.
Why Chris Oladokun should win the Chiefs' QB3 job
With Mahomes as the starter and Gardner Minshew as the backup, Oladokun and Zappe will be the two main signal-callers to watch in the preseason. Zappe might have been looked at as the favorite to win the QB3 job but his preseason performance against the Cardinals left a lot to be desired. Zappe went 8-of-17 for 70 yards and two interceptions and a sack. He did not look good.
While Oladokun had fewer passing yards than Zappe with 39, he had less playing time but still managed to look better than his competition. He went 6-of-13 for 39 yards and rushed for 26 yards. Another thing working in Oladokun's favor is that he is more familiar with the Chiefs' system, having spent time with the team since 2022.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke this week about Oladokun's performance, saying, "I thought he had a good game last week, so he'll get some playing time this week."
The Chiefs clearly like Oladokun and see potential there as a QB3/practice squad option. While Zappe also spent time with the practice squad a season ago, his preseason performance made it clear that he's probably not the right guy to be the third-stringer for this offense.
Fortunately, the third-string quarterback isn't a super important talking point for Kansas City because Mahomes is the starter and (knock on wood) hasn't missed much time since taking that role over full-time in 2018. Even if Mahomes has to miss time, Minshew is next in line as the backup. If Oladokun or Zappe are playing meaningful minutes for the Chiefs in 2025, something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Putting that aside, however, Oladokun has clearly made a strong enough impression on the coaching staff that him winning the QB3 job feels imminent. Now let's hope we never see him take the field this season.