Oladokun, Chiefs Look Forward to Long-Awaited 1st NFL Start

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chris Oladokun left the meeting room at the Chiefs’ Nashville hotel Saturday night and noticed a text.

Only 16 hours before kickoff, his former teammate from Sickles High School in Tampa, Fla., wanted a ticket to Sunday’s game. After a four-hour drive from Asheville, N.C., where he works as a medical-equipment sales representative, Jake Hampton walked into Nissan Stadium.

Watch Chris Oladokun discuss below...

“And as he's walking into the stadium,” said Oladokun, whose name is pronounced oh-luh-DOKE-in, “he said he looked up at the jumbo and he's like, ‘Is that Chris in?’ And yeah, there I was. So, it was pretty cool to have him there, and at least I had some support there in Tennessee.”

He’ll have plenty more support this week in his first NFL start, a Christmas night assignment against Denver (7:15 p.m. CT, Prime Video, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan). Oladokun scrambled to find flights his parents and siblings, including younger brother Jordan, a cornerback on injured reserve with the Los Angeles Chargers.

He’ll have the benefit of honest feedback, too, especially from film. Oladokun came off the bench in the second quarter Sunday and promptly guided the Chiefs into field-goal range on each of his first four drives.

“I was able to extend a couple plays, too, for some big gains,” he said. “That's a big part of my game, and something I always want to utilize. And then in terms of just the little operational stuff, just making sure we get in and out of the huddle. Don't want to have any penalties, whether it's my cadence, and me and the O line, just sort of getting on the same page.”

chris oladoku — Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (13) runs the ball against Chicago Bears defensive end Carl Jones Jr. (50) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

He’ll also have experience to go along with his maturity. Oladokun, 28, has been in the Chiefs organization most of the past four seasons, working closely with Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, coordinator Matt Nagy and quarterbacks coach David Girardi.

“I was proud of him,” Nagy said Thursday, looking back at Oladokun’s 2025 debut last week. “I thought he kept his calm the whole time. That's not an easy moment in that situation.

“And I just think back to the first day that he was with us, where what he came from, and what he's worked so hard for, behind the scenes with Pat and these guys, Coach Girardi. So, here he is presented with this opportunity, and I know he's ready for it.”

oladokun, cam war — Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) greets Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) after a game at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The future starts now

That opportunity is at the forefront of Oladokun’s mind. He realizes a lot more than his parents and siblings will be watching. A free agent after this season, Oladokun knows he’s auditioning for something.

The Chiefs, after all, likely need a quarterback familiar with their system to run the offseason program, training camp and preseason games while Mahomes rehabs from knee surgery. And if not Kansas City, another team likely would scoop him up as a potential backup quarterback in 2026, but only if he plays well over these next two starts.

“Yeah, it's a huge opportunity, and it's something I don’t take lightly,” he said Tuesday. “These opportunities don't come around often, and so when you get them, you got to take that and run with it.

“So, this is not only a big game for our team, but me personally -- a big game in terms of letting the league know what I can do, and let these coaches know what I can do. Moving forward, having that confidence in me that if something were to happen, that they feel confident that I can go out there and execute the gameplan.”

Executing that gameplan for Thursday night isn’t a concern, Nagy said. A 6-1, 213-pound quarterback from South Dakota State, Oladokun signed with the Steelers as a non-drafted free agent in 2022 but joined the Chiefs shortly after. He’s had plenty of time to prepare for this moment.

“I like where he's at mentally,” the offensive coordinator said Tuesday, “understanding this playbook. Now he's, what, into his third year, third full year with us? And he understands the language.

“It's different being able to understand it. It's harder when you got to go to the line of scrimmage with guys chasing you. You got calls you got to make.”

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