The first week of the 2025 preseason is upon us. The final score doesn't necessarily matter, as every team is using these games to see how fringe starters or borderline roster players perform in real-game situations. So that means you will rarely see starters playing in the preseason.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, they are looking to make it back to the Super Bowl after getting embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game last season. All eyes will be on the offense, especially at the line of scrimmage.
with uncertainty along the offensive line, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has an odd strategy on paper for their preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Reid says that he expects every quarterback to play around a quarter in the preseason game. Yes, that includes quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Coach Reid says each quarterback (and their respective units) will get a quarter of work on Saturday night.
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) August 7, 2025
Andy Reid's risky preseason decision with Patrick Mahomes
The plan is a risky one, as there is uncertainty around the left side of the offensive line.
Slotted in at left tackle is first-round pick Josh Simmons, who has worked his way back from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that forced his draft stock to drop a bit. Even though the word from camp is that Simmons is performing well, an actual game is a whole different animal. And Mahomes is going to rely on him to be his blind side tackle, in a preseason game. There is risk there.
Then at left guard is Kingsley Suamataia. The 2024 second-round pick didn't pan out at left tackle and split time at left guard. But through his rookie season, he ranked near the bottom of the league in terms of pass and run blocking by Pro Football Focus. On 195 total snaps, Suamataia allowed 14 total pressures, six quarterback hits, and three sacks, while being issued three penalties. Not great numbers on limited snaps last season.
It's not an ideal situation for Mahomes in training camp, but there is a silver lining to this plan by Reid.
Andy Reid can still mitigate the preseason risk with Mahomes
As many in Chiefs media know, Reid has said his plan to play quarterbacks around a quarter each in the presesaon over the years. But, they point out that he rarely follows through with it, especially the starters.
For instance, the Chiefs starting offense played one series against the Jacksonville Jaguars, where they notched three points. After that, they were all pulled from the game.
Even though Reid said around a quarter of play, what else does he need to see with the starters if they put together a scoring drive? So, realistically, the best bet is that Mahomes will play the first series and that's it.
The last thing Reid needs to do is put his starting quarterback at risk due to injury. The Cincinnati Bengals and head coach Zac Taylor is taking a risk by having his starting offense, including quarterback Joe Burrow. The hope from Taylor is that it will help prevent the team's typical early season slumps like they've endured in recent years. But, playing Burrow an extended period of time in the preseason opens the door for potential injury.
It's entirely unlikely Mahomes will play the entirety of the first quarter on Saturday night, but Reid and the Chiefs need to be careful.