The Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback situation is very, very interesting right now. Starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL late in the 2025 season, and the team signed Justin Fields this offseason, likely to have someone who could start while Mahomes continued to rehab. But Mahomes progressed through that rehab incredibly fast, and now what the team needs out of its backup quarterback may have shifted.
In addition to Fields, the team has seventh-round rookie Garrett Nussmeier on the roster as well as last year's stopgap Chris Oladokun. What should we make of the quarterback position here through the first couple of Chiefs preseason games?
Early grades for Kansas City's backup quarterbacks
Fields has thrown the fewest pass attempts of any Chiefs quarterback this offseason, which makes sense when you consider he's been the team's starting quarterback with Mahomes not playing this preseason.
Despite throwing the fewest passes, though, Fields has completed 81.2 percent of them, the best on the team. He's also added 24 rushing yards on three carries. The sample size has been small, but Fields has been doing what the Chiefs have needed him to do.
Nussmeier has gotten the most run by far this postseason, throwing 36 of the 69 pass attempts fromChiefs quarterbacks. He's done a respectable job, too, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 172 yards.
With that said, it's probably a bit of an indictment that the seventh-round rookie has yet to throw a touchdown pass despite the opportunities he's had. He's also been sacked twice and has added no rushing yards. We're grading on a bit of a curve here considering he wasn't expected to do much given his late draft slot, but I'd definitely call Nussmeier's performance uneven — although largely encouraging if the Chiefs want to keep him as a developmental prospect.
I've watched a lot of Chiefs preseason football over the last few years, and because of that, I have a soft spot for Chris Oladokun. It's always fun to watch him play in the fourth quarter, and it'd be cool to see the guy make the final roster this season.
With that said ... he's last among Kansas City's three quarterbacks in completion percentage, passing yards and yards per attempt. His 32 rushing yards do lead the team's passers, but his performance with his arm just hasn't been as good as what the other two have brought.
What should the Chiefs do about their backup quarterback position?
Let's go ahead and put Oladokun to the side here. He's not going to make the 53-man roster for the Chiefs this year, and that's fine. He's an exciting preseason player, but much like Jordan Ta'amu's two offseason stints with the team, there's not really a place for him in Kansas City.
That leaves us with Fields and Nussmeier, and the choice there feels clear as well. Kansas City brought Fields in to be the bridge starter until Mahomes was back from injury. Mahomes is back earlier, so that bridge isn't necessarily needed, but having Fields around in case something happens to Mahomes during the season is what the Chiefs need right now. Despite missing the postseason in 2025, this team enters 2026 with hopes of making another Super Bowl run, and if Mahomes were to go down for a short time — say, between one and four games — then Fields has the upside to win you a couple of games in that span to keep your playoff hopes alive.
As for whether or not Nussmeier will make the 53-man roster, he's shown enough that the Chiefs should try to find a way to make that happen. Maybe you try to sneak him on to the practice squad, but he's played well enough this preseason that some team probably considers claiming him off waivers. It's also probably time to think about a long-term backup for Mahomes, as he's now in his 30s and is coming off a serious knee injury. I'm not suggesting he's about to hit a wall or anything, but it's usually a good idea to have a backup in place who you can keep around for a little bit, and Fields is likely hoping to parlay this deal into a chance to start somewhere in 2027.
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