Chiefs’ Oladokun, Smith Break Down Shared First NFL Touchdown

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brashard Smith could smell the red and white paint in the end zone.

On third-and-goal from the Broncos’ 5-yard line, the rookie running back lined up split left, motioned to the backfield and got open in the right flat.

“That was one of my favorite plays all week,” quarterback Chris Oladokun said after the game. “Down there in the red zone, expecting a little man look.”

Not exactly an easy pass

Instead, the Broncos played zone with their cornerbacks and Oladukun capitalized. He found a wide-open Smith and the rookie did the rest. Simultaneously, it became the quarterback’s first career touchdown pass and the running back’s first NFL points. But it wasn’t exactly an easy play.

“I just sort of got stuck inside,” Oladokun explained, “and so, Brashard did a great job. I couldn't really see him, a little, small guy out there. So, I sort of had to shape it around the end. And he did a great job getting in the end zone.”

Smith got in the end zone by flashing his enticing potential, especially with the ball in space. The 5-10, 196-pound rookie juked Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton and broke his hogtie tackle at the 2-yard line. Riley Moss got caught in the wash, and Justin Strnad was too late.

It was a memorable play, a lonely bright spot in a brutal stretch during which the Chiefs have lost five straight and seven of their last eight. Hopefully, someone remembered to secure the football after the go-ahead touchdown.

brashard smit — Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (24) celebrates during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“He scored and threw the ball down,” Oladokun remembered. “And my first thought was, ‘Wait, one of us needs that ball.’ Then my second thought was, ‘Well, I'm hyped right now, so I'm gonna go celebrate with my teammates.’”

Oladokun didn’t see the ball again, and has no idea how it got to Allen Wright. But someone recovered the ball, and the Chiefs’ equipment director said he’s going to split and label it so both Oladokun and Smith get an equal share.

Splitting the memento

But, wait, how does a person split a historic game ball?

“I'm gonna have to Google that after tonight,” Oladokun said, “because I have no clue. But we have a great equipment team, so they'll get it done for us.”

What’s significant is that Oladokun knows that equipment team well, and they know him. That’s because he’s been in the Kansas City organization since 2022. Primarily a practice-squad player over most of those four seasons, the quarterback is obviously familiar with the people as well as the playbook.

And those people, including injured quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew, watched him take a leadership role and run with it on Thursday night. His circuitous football life reached a crescendo on Christmas, his first NFL start.

“It's definitely surreal just looking back on my whole journey,” Oladokun said, “transferring multiple times in college. And there were times I just sat in my dorm room, wondering if, like this whole football thing was even for me. And to go from that dorm room questioning things to being here for four years on practice squad, just waiting on an opportunity.

“And, obviously, I hate the way this opportunity has come, but also I know I have to take full advantage of it. The NFL is not for long, and I feel like the better I play, the longer my career can go. So, I'm just blessed with an opportunity.”

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