The Kansas City Chiefs probably shocked a lot of people when they spent their final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. After all, they have Patrick Mahomes as their starting quarterback and traded a sixth-round pick for Justin Fields in the offseason.
That being said, spending a seventh-round pick on a quarterback with the talent that Nussmeier has isn't a bad idea at all. In fact, this could end up being a slam-dunk decision for Brett Veach and the Chiefs even if Nussmeier doesn't see the field at all as a rookie.
Jordan Reid (along with the NFL Nation crew) of ESPN put together a list of what to expect from each rookie quarterback this year. Nussmeier's role is one that Chiefs fans will be A-okay with. Nate Taylor wrote:
"Nussmeier should consider this his redshirt rookie season. The Chiefs see plenty of potential in him as the future long-term backup to Patrick Mahomes. But with Justin Fields on the roster this season, Nussmeier's role is one where he should listen to Reid, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Mahomes and Fields and take notes for 2027 and beyond. Those lessons, and a yearlong plan to improve his skills and strengthen his body, should allow Nussmeier to be in the mix to be Mahomes' backup in 2027."
2026 should be treated as "redshirt season" for Garrett Nussmeier
This is a spot-on assessment. If the Chiefs are seeing anything from Nussmeier during the regular season, then something has gone terribly wrong. The plan for him is that he sits behind Mahomes and Fields during his rookie year and then, if he's ready for the promotion, he'd be Mahomes' backup in 2027 and beyond.
The hope from there is that he becomes a reliable backup to Mahomes and maybe, just maybe, the Chiefs could end up trading him toward the end of his rookie deal if another team becomes desperate enough. Or, perhaps Nussmeier simply remains Mahomes' backup for the foreseeable future. Either option sounds like a good one for Chiefs fans.
Nussmeier was once projected as a first-round pick but injury concerns saw him slide all the way to the seventh and final round of this year's draft. He had a third-round projection by "The Beast" entering the draft so getting him in round seven was a pretty impressive pull by Veach. We'll see if Nussmeier amounts to anything in the league or if he becomes yet another forgotten seventh-round pick.
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