An already hellish season for the Kansas City Chiefs — by KC standards — reached the ninth circle on Sunday with Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL. On the plus side, Chiefs fans won't need to worry about Mahomes's absence for the rest of the season. They were officially knocked out of the playoffs, taking all of the pressure off of Brett Veach to quickly find a replacement-level stand-in. (He can focus on plugging the gaping holes on KC's roster instead.) Still, a new quarterback will have to be identified.
Gardner Minshew is perfectly capable of starting the rest of the way. He may not be a great quarterback, but he's experienced. The Chiefs could bring up practice squad QB Chris Oladukun to fill the backup spot. Or they could get a bit more creative. And no, I'm not talking about bringing 41-year-old Alex Smith out of retirement. Now would be a great time to get an up-close look at another young quarterback with long-term-backup potential.
Kyle McCord
The Chiefs haven't drafted a quarterback since Mahomes in 2017, content to find their backups elsewhere. They added Oladukun in 2022 after he was released by the Steelers, who picked him in the seventh round, and he's been on the practice squad ever since. Oladukun has stuck around because of the value he brings as a scout team quarterback, playing the role of mobile QBs. But he's never really been an option to play meaningful snaps. There'd be more to learn by signing someone like Kyle McCord off of the Eagles practice squad.
Philadelphia put McCord on their practice squad after picking him up in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Syracuse quarterback hasn't played a snap in the NFL yet, beyond an unimpressive preseason stint. But he's young, he's got time to establish himself as a capable backup.
Coming out of Syracuse, McCord was seen as someone with backup, if not starting, potential. He struggled to hit his ceiling at Ohio Sate but he burst through it with the Orange, leading the nation with 391 completions and 4,779 yards. He threw 34 touchdowns and was PFF's top graded QB in "Big Time Throws." However, he had an interception issue with 12 giveaways.
McCord isn't a mobile quarterback by any means, so he may not fit perfectly into the Chiefs' Mahomes-centric offense. However, he wouldn't be the first KC backup with far less mobility than the top dog.
Sam Hartman
Like Kyle McCord, Sam Hartman hasn't gotten the chance to make his mark in the NFL yet, but the Commanders have been happy to have him on their practice squad for the last two years. He was an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2024
Hartman was prolific in college, leading the ACC with 38 touchdowns in 2022, the year after he slung a career-high 39. It was also the same year he got back on the field by Week 2 after he had a rib removed because of a blood clot. His toughness and fire for the game certainly can't be questioned. He's definitely not a dual-threat, but he's mobile enough to give opposing defenses something to think about.
Having spent six years in college, Hartman is on the older side at 26. We'd call that mature but he never seemed to grow out of his interception habit in college. His INT rate was above two percent in all but one season.
He's been tutored by Kliff Kingsbury for the past two seasons and time in an Andy Reid offense could unlock him even further.
DJ Uiagalelei
Okay, now for a real home run swing...or the worst swing-and-miss you've ever seen. That's DJ Uiagalelei, a quarterback with immense potential and face-palm-enducing lows.
Uiagalelei was a five-start prospect coming out of high school with great size and mobility as well as an enormous arm. The sky was the limit. However, his first three years at Clemson were underwhelming. Every year was supposed to be the year it all clicked. But it never did.
After transferring to Oregon State, Uiagalelei found his stride. He played with more confidence and poise despite a reduction in supporting cast. Then he jumped to Florida State and everything fell apart again. He wasn't just underwhelming, he was terrible. Incomprehensibly so. He went undrafted to no one's surprise.
The Chargers picked him up as an undrafted free agent and he did well enough to earn a spot on their practice squad. Like Oladukun, the value of having Uiagalelei as a scout quarterback may be Los Angeles' main thinking there. Still, his arm is undeniably intriguing. He proved that in the preseason with a 49-yard bomb of a touchdown in his second appearance.
Getting a look at Uiagalelei is low risk and potentially high reward.