Why Chiefs Must Restock at QB Behind Patrick Mahomes

The Kansas City Chiefs saw what life was like without Patrick Mahomes in 2025. Do they need to find another backup quarterback for him this offseason?

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew (17) goes under center against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs and their fans experienced one of the most painful things an NFL fanbase could endure this season, and that's seeing their franchise quarterback go down with a potentially franchise-altering injury.

Luckily for them, Patrick Mahomes has already had a Hall of Fame career up to this point, so there's no fear of potential being squandered due to injury. However, there's a real chance that Mahomes never plays the same again. With that being said, should the Chiefs go out there and sign a different backup quarterback in case something like that were to happen again?

Backup Woes

Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

As of right now, the Chiefs don't have any quarterback on their roster for next season other than Mahomes. He's hoping to make a recovery by Week 1 of next season, but that isn't even a guarantee. Both of their backups are set to free agency, and the Chiefs don't have a lot of money they can play around with in the offseason. They need to make their decisions carefully on which players get brought back and which don't.

Gardner Minshew didn't get the opportunity to do much in Kansas City, and he's also coming off a serious injury. I'd be surprised if the Chiefs spend more than a couple of days deciding what to do with him. The real decision is what they do with Chris Oladokun.

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

Oladokun stepped up for the Chiefs when Minshew went down with his injury and played well, given his circumstances. He was playing without some of his top weapons, and even if none of his three starts resulted in a win, he showed flashes of the player he could be if given more development time and an increased snap count.

In that short amount of time he was given, he managed to throw his first career touchdown, against the fearsome Denver Broncos, no less. He didn't turn the ball over and attempted to create out of structure, even if it didn't always work out in his favor.

Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) throws a pass during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

If I were the Chiefs, he showed more than enough to warrant coming back to the team. His best game was when he was thrown out into the fire against the Tennessee Titans, where he was efficient and wasn't afraid to push the ball downfield.

However, I believe he shouldn't be the undisputed backup. The Chiefs should draft a quarterback or bring in some competition for him to see if he can win a quarterback battle in training camp, and also give them a third string in case it gets to that point again.

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