Chiefs Close Out the Draft by Selecting Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier Out of LSU

With quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovering from knee surgery, Head Coach Andy Reid and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs brass added another signal caller to the room.

Nov 8, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) throws a pass during the second half of the game with Alabama at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated LSU 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

The 2026 draft is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs ended it with a surprise selection. With the 249th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft they selected quarterback Garrett Nussmeier out of LSU.

Nussmeirer is a value play here for the Chiefs when you consider that ESPN had the former Tiger ranked third amongst all quarterbacks coming into the draft and 87th overall.

The seventh-round pick joins a quarterback room that contains a recovering Mahomes, Justin Fields, Jake Haener and Chris Oladokun. The Chiefs traded a 2027 sixth-round pick for Fields earlier this offseason to back up Mahomes and lead the offense through the offseason in his absence.

Nussmeier will now join Fields and the others as Mahomes works his way back. The front office likely felt they needed to add one more body to the position group this offseason anyway, and with Mahomes leading the franchise for as long as he chooses to, Nussmeier was not a likely UDFA candidate.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound 24-year-old had to wait three years to earn an opportunity to start at LSU, backing up former first-round pick Jayden Daniels to begin his career. He burst onto the scene in his in his redshirt junior season, leading the Tigers to a 9-4 record, throwing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and a 142.7 quarterback rating.

A spinal cyst riddled his redshirt senior season, limiting him to 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns. He remained at LSU all five seasons, which is notable nowadays.

Nussmeier received a third-round grade in KCSN's NFL Draft Guide, lauding his "natural feel for the game of football, and plays the game with a high IQ and sound decision making."

Nussmeier marks the third consecutive offensive player the Chiefs selected, after beginning the draft picking up four-straight defensive players.

The Chiefs ended the draft adding cornerback Mansoor Delane, defensive tackle Peter Woods, defensive end R Mason Thomas, defensive back Jadon Canady, running back Emmett Johnson, wide receiver Cyrus Allen and Nussmeier.

With the draft concluded, General Manager Brett Veach and the company will now shift to rounding out their 90-man roster with their UDFA signings.