Overreaction Monday: Carson Wentz’s tenure as Chiefs QB2 should end before it begins

I still don't get why the Kansas City Chiefs thought it was a good idea to bring Carson Wentz into their building. While I fully understand that he is immensely talented, he is incredibly inconsistent. More importantly, you don't want your backup quarterback to be in the headlines, especially when you have a Super Bowl three-peat to pursue. Someone has to back up Patrick Mahomes, but maybe not Wentz?

In the Chiefs' 26-13 preseason win over the weekend vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, all four of the Kansas City quarterbacks who played, including Mahomes, completed at least 70 percent of their passes. While Wentz was a perfect 4-for-4 on his passing attempts, he only threw for 26 yards and fumbled the ball on his two drives that ended with punts. Ian Book and Chris Oladokun played well.

While Book is nothing more than a third-stringer in the league, Kansas City has kept Oladokun around and on the roster the last few years. The former South Dakota State standout could conceivably emerge as the guy to serve as Mahomes' primary backup. We are looking for a guy to be what Blaine Gabbert was for the Chiefs a year ago, as well as through the better part of his career in the league.

Gabbert may have been a first-round bust as well, but he was a sound backup and a great teammate.

Kansas City Chiefs are making a mistake with Carson Wentz as backup

Look. The Chiefs are not that different than most teams. If their starting quarterback goes down for any extended stretch of time, they are largely screwed. While Wentz does possess some of that ad-libber magic that makes Mahomes so good, he loves to die on the field with every play. He is probably the most inherently reckless former first-round quarterback I have ever covered in my writing career.

Not only that, but he has a bad reputation of not necessarily being a great, or even a relatable, teammate. You never really got the sense out of other Chiefs backups from yesteryear from Gabbert to Chad Henne, to Chase Daniel nearly a decade ago. Wentz is the bigger name, but that is not what it is about at the backup quarterback position. No NFL team needs a superstar backup quarterback.

Ultimately, it will all come down to who Andy Reid and Brett Veach think can best help this team win games in case Mahomes gets hurt. For the most part, Mahomes has had a clean bill of health throughout his hall-of-fame career. He has dealt with knee and leg injuries before, which isn't surprising given his backyard football type of playing style. However, you cannot trust Wentz here.

I would love to see Oladokun have a real shot at competing for the Chiefs' primary backup job.