Who will be Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback?

Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks from left to proper, Chris Oladokun, Shane Buechele, Patrick Mahomes and Blaine Gabbert arrive at NFL soccer coaching camp Friday, July 28, 2023, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photograph/Charlie Riedel)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs know in addition to any staff within the NFL the significance of backup quarterbacks, and that makes the truth that coach Andy Reid known as the competitors for the spot too near name after Monday’s follow noteworthy.

The Chiefs signed veteran Blaine Gabbert to fill the position of Chad Henne, who retired final season after 5 years as the first backup to Patrick Mahomes.

However Gabbert has been pushed all through camp by Shane Buechele, a former undrafted free agent and follow squad staple, and the duo continues to travel heading into the Chiefs’ preseason finale.

Buechele received a lot of the work with the No. 2 offense on Monday. Gabbert has labored in that position as nicely.

“These two are actual shut. Actual shut,” Reid stated. “We’ll simply let it play out right here. See the way it goes. However that’s good competitors.”

The Chiefs produce other spots nonetheless to be determined heading into Saturday’s sport towards the Browns, together with the final couple of large receiver jobs and spots alongside the line of defense.

However these aren’t almost as essential because the quarterback, the place the backup can go from holding a clipboard to having a whole season resting in his palms straight away.

That was the case twice for Henne throughout his time in Kansas City.

The primary time towards the Browns throughout the divisional spherical of the 2020 playoffs, when Mahomes was knocked from the sport with a concussion early within the second half. Henne led the Chiefs the remainder of the best way, finishing an audacious fourth-and-1 throw to Tyreek Hill close to midfield within the ultimate minutes to place away a 22-17 victory.

The Chiefs beat the Payments for the AFC title earlier than shedding to the Buccaneers within the Tremendous Bowl.

The second time got here final season, when Mahomes sprained his ankle late within the first half towards Jacksonville. The Chiefs led 10-7 when Henne trotted onto the sphere, with Kansas City backed as much as its 2-yard line, and led the Chiefs 98 yards with a brief landing throw to Travis Kelce ending off one other excellent emergency look.

Mahomes completed out the 27-20 victory, then led Kansas City previous the Bengals within the AFC title sport earlier than beating the Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl — when Henne was nonetheless on the prepared as Mahomes performed via his harm.

So sure, the backup quarterback job actually issues in Kansas City.

“That’s what makes a fantastic staff,” Buechele stated, “is when guys are competing for a spot.”

Not simply any competitors, although. High quality competitors.

Gabbert has the advantage of expertise, getting into the league as a first-round choose in 2011 and taking part in for 5 completely different groups over the previous 11 seasons. He’s appeared in 67 video games, making 48 begins, and thrown for greater than 9,300 yards. And all of that could be a large purpose why the Chiefs signed him to a $1,317,500 contract for this season.

“We had been watching movie,” the 33-year-old Gabbert stated, recalling a second from a gathering earlier in camp, “and there’s a play we put in on the finish of the sport and it was from 2011 in Jacksonville, and so they had been like, ‘That was you at quarterback? We couldn’t even see you the movie was so grainy.’ So that actually made me really feel outdated.”

In the meantime, the 25-year-old Buechele has by no means thrown a regular-season NFL move. However he does benefit from expertise in what can be a sophisticated system, spending the previous two seasons on the Kansas City follow squad.

“That is the primary time that I’ve ever been in the identical offense for 3 years in a row,” Buechele stated. “I really feel assured in my skill and my preparation and figuring out this offense out and in. Clearly we are able to preserve getting smarter, however simply the arrogance I’ve and the preparation in figuring out this offense has actually helped me be profitable on the sphere.”

It simply may earn him the Chiefs’ backup job, too.