Backup quarterback options who make sense behind Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs
Let's explore the Kansas City Chiefs' urgent need for a backup to Patrick Mahomes.
By Jacob Milham
Don't look at the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart in April. Several positions seem very thin, but will certainly be addressed in the draft or with minor free agents, but the situation behind Patrick Mahomes is very dire.
The Chiefs cannot roll into 2024 with Chris Oladokun as the second-string quarterback or Ian Book either. Those three are the only rostered quarterbacks in Kansas City, making the drop from Mahomes to his replacement particularly dire.
Shane Buechele is not going to come walking down the hill in St. Joseph this summer. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft. After spending multiple seasons in Kansas City, some saw him as the backup quarterback heir apparent. But, after the Chiefs waived him on August 29 last year, AFC rival Buffalo Bills signed him to their practice squad. The SMU alum did not see any action in 2023 but signed a reserve/future contract with Buffalo for 2024.
There will rarely be enticing free-agent options available at any position this late in the NFL offseason, but that applies doubly to quarterbacks. Ryan Tannehill is undoubtedly the best option left on the market, with several low-ceiling options behind him. Still, Kansas City has to add someone ahead of the 2024 season.
The quarterback depth chart has a gaping hole behind Mahomes as of this writing. No realistic quarterback addition would cause a starter competition this summer. All Kansas City needs is a dependable option, one hopefully seeing more time on the bench than in the regular season. What are some options Kansas City needs to mull over?
Would the Chiefs roll the dice on a rookie quarterback?
I feel this is a necessary question to answer. No team in their right mind would go into a season with a late-round rookie quarterback as their primary backup. Those fans out there thinking the Chiefs, pursuing a three-peat, would not have an experienced backup behind Mahomes are dead wrong.
Not only is quarterback a very low draft priority, but head coach Andy Reid's track record proves it. Kansas City will not leave their championship aspirations in the hands of players like Tulane's Michael Pratt or Western Kentucky's Austin Reed. No offense to those players and their peers' potentials, but very few rookies should be a team's top or secondary quarterback in 2024.