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Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun at Caesars Superdome on August 13, 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs have made a pair of big investments in their quarterback room, and that could spell roster trouble for the signal-caller who filled in for Patrick Mahomes last season.
The Chiefs traded for former first-round pick Justin Fields as an insurance policy while Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL, then used a late draft pick on Garrett Nussmeier as a developmental project. The moves could leave a practice-squad quarterback turned starter with a difficult path to make the final roster.
The Athletic’s Jesse Newell offered an early prediction of the team’s final 53-man roster, predicting that Chris Oladokun would fail to make the cut. Newell wrote that the team’s decision to invest a seventh-round pick on Nussmeier pushed Oladokun off the roster.
“By taking Nussmeier in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, the Chiefs essentially locked themselves into keeping three quarterbacks on the 53. It might not be a bad idea this year anyway, with Mahomes’ health status less certain than in years past as he recovers from left knee surgery.”
Oladokun had been the team’s practice squad quarterback, but was pressed into starting duties last season after both Mahomes and Gardner Minshew were lost to season-ending injuries. Oladokun lost both of his starts, completing 35-of-55 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
If the Chiefs decide to keep three quarterbacks on the depth chart, the team could still find a place for Oladokun on the practice squad. He has been well-regarded by the coaching staff, earning some praise from head coach Andy Reid last year for his performance after being thrust into the starting lineup.
“I thought he did ok,” Reid said after the team’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. “He was able to get us moving a little bit, probably could have given him better stuff to work with, particular get him more reps during the week. He didn’t have any reps, but I thought for what he was asked to do, I thought he did a nice job.”
His role could depend on the status of Mahomes, who has been rehabbing his torn ACL and appears on track to participate fully in training camp. Mahomes played on a limited basis in the team’s OTAs and minicamp and has expressed confidence that he will be ready to start the season.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Mahomes will focus on lateral movements in the coming weeks and hopes to use the preseason as a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season.
“They are not at all shying away from [a potential Week 1 return],” Fowler reported. “I don’t think it’s lip service. He still has to progress like Coach [Andy] Reid said, but he’s giving himself a chance to be there and take that very first snap.”
If Mahomes is ready to play, it would leave little room for Oladokun on the depth chart, and could prompt the team to put Nussmeier on the practice squad instead.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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