Who is the Chiefs backup QB and emergency QB for Super Bowl 58?

All that stands in the way of the Kansas City Chiefs making history are the San Francisco 49ers. Should Kansas City come out on top over San Francisco, the Chiefs will be the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champions. It has happened a few times in the 57 years of the NFL's marquee event. However, we are coming up on 20 years since it last happened.

For Kansas City to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the third time since 2019, Patrick Mahomes will need to have his health. He usually comes through in the clutch for the Chiefs, but there is a precipitous drop-off from his quarterbacking talent to his backup. While the Chiefs do have one of the better backups in the game in Blaine Gabbert, there are reasons why he was a first-round bust.

After failing in Jacksonville, the former Missouri star has had his moments as a backup quarterback in the league for nearly a decade and a half now. He occasionally spot starts, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers and the Tennessee Titans midway through his career. He has caught on as a high-end backup in the last five years, serving as Tom Brady's backup from 2020 to 2022 in Tampa.

If Mahomes were to stumble, we can trust Gabbert to make some plays like Chad Henne used to do.

Super Bowl 58: Who is Patrick Mahomes' backup Blaine Gabbert?

Gabbert is 34 years old, originally from the St. Louis metropolitan area. He played his college football for the iconic Gary Pinkel at Missouri from 2008 to 2010. Gabbert starred at Parkway West in Ballwin before going on to play for the Tigers during some of their final seasons in the Big 12. He was second-team all-conference during his sophomore year in 2009 after backed up Chase Daniel.

With Andrew Luck deciding to return to Stanford for one more year, Gabbert seized his opportunity to enter the 2011 NFL Draft where he would be the No. 10 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. His draft selection and other questionable decisions made by the front office made them one of the most futile teams in the NFL for the better part of two decades now, having had only two good years.

While Gabbert has rebounded as a high-end backup in this league, his Jaguars days defined him.

Super Bowl 58: Who is the Kansas City Chiefs' emergency QB?

Gabbert may be the unquestioned backup, but what happens if he gets hurt? Football is a game of injury, so you need to be prepared for worst-case scenarios. Currently, the Chiefs only roster two quarterbacks in Mahomes and Gabbert. However, they have a few guys on their 53-man roster who played the position briefly in college, as well as a well-thought-of quarterback on the practice squad.

Assuming he could be elevated to the 53-man roster, your likely No. 3 quarterback would have to be second-year pro Chris Oladokun out of South Dakota State by way of Samford and South Florida. Again, the emergency quarterback rule is newly in effect, so it takes some time to get used to. Kansas City also has two tight ends who played some quarterback in college in Blake Bell and ... Travis Kelce!

Bell was a goal-line package specialist at Oklahoma, best known as the Belldozer. Kelce briefly played quarterback for Brian Kelly at Cincinnati before switching to tight end. While Tommy Townsend is too valuable to play quarterback for extended stretches, he is a punter with a knack for spinning it as well. I would say if it is possible, Oladokun backs up Gabbert before Bell, Kelce and Townsend in that order.

Last year, Andy Reid hinted at Jerick McKinnon as an emergency option, but he himself is just returning from an injury, so it's tough to see that coming to fruition.

Mahomes isn't getting hurt and neither is Gabbert. If both are down for the count, bad news, Chiefs...