Andy Reid Sets Record Straight on Chiefs Backup QB Situation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Josh Allen kept his starting streak alive on Sunday, taking the first snap and then handing the baton to Mitchell Trubisky.

The veteran backup, Matt Nagy’s quarterback for the Chicago Bears in a prior lifetime, Trubisky led the Bills to a crisp, take-care-of-business playoff tuneup over the 3-14 New York Jets.

Across the country in Las Vegas, Chris Oladokun and Shane Buechele combined for eight sacks, two turnovers and 168 total net yards in a loss to the 3-14 Raiders. And on Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that’s clearly not what Kansas City expects when it has to play without Patrick Mahomes.

“We didn't play a great game, for sure,” Reid said Monday afternoon.

With Mahomes likely to miss all of training camp and preseason, and possibly regular-season games, Reid wasn’t quick to offer any ringing endorsements for Oladokun.

oladoku — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) throws the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Raiders had time to prepare for him, too

The 28-year-old quarterback nearly led the Chiefs to an upset win over the Broncos, who clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, but he looked lethargic on Sunday. Given an opportunity to really show Reid and general manager that they could trust him to run the offseason program with Mahomes in rehab, he struggled.

Oladokun looked like he was in quicksand to open the game, off target on many of his passes. He took costly sacks and was careless with the football, losing two fumbles over a nine-minute stretch in the second quarter. And when the Chiefs needed points at the end of the first half, he took a sack to take Kansas City out of field-goal range.

buechel — Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele (17) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway (97) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Benched after halftime, he finished 11 of 17 for just 58 yards. It was disappointing considering he had so much time to prepare.

He played well in maneuvering the Chiefs into scoring position with such little time to prepare in his prior two outings, the 20-13 loss to the Broncos in his first NFL start, and the Dec. 21 loss at Tennessee in which he relieved an injured Gardner Minshew in the second quarter.

Minshew doesn't sound like he'll be resigned

Minshew, who reportedly sustained a painful bone bruise on his left knee in that Titans game, is one of 21 Chiefs veterans eligible for unrestricted free agency. And while Reid didn’t sound like the Chiefs were interested in bringing him back, the head coach did say Kansas City will be in the market for a veteran like him.

“So, we brought Gardner in to do that,” Reid said, speaking of the need for a trustworthy Mahomes backup, “and unfortunately, he got hurt early in that game. But we had a ton and still have a ton of confidence that he can do that.

“Now, he was only here for a year, and that was what his contract was. But that type of player is what you want in that position, somebody that's won games in the league and at the same time understands his role, and handles himself right in the room. That becomes an important thing.”

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