Kansas City Chiefs: 2016 Quarterback Competition
The Kansas City Chiefs will go into training camp with four quarterbacks yet again. Last season, the decisions were fairly easy. This season could prove to be a little more difficult for the Chiefs.
The KC Chiefs have been lucky the last three seasons, and have not had any type of real quarterback battles that other teams have had. Last season was the first time that anybody even considered the notion of replacing veteran Alex Smith with backup Chase Daniel.
The first team offense struggled during the preseason last year, but under the command of Chase Daniel the offense ran up and down the field. This gave some people the illusion that Chase played a little better than Alex, which showed that maybe there’d be a change ahead. Now obviously judging by how the last ten games of the regular season went, Alex Smith has no reason to worry about his starting job.
Looking at the options, Tyler Bray should be the one to leave Kansas City. The project is over and there are better options on the team already.
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When Bray was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee, he signed with the Chiefs in 2013 during the preseason. He played three out of the four games that preseason and showed a lot of potential, but in 2014 he was put on the injured-reserve list, and in 2015 he was placed on the non-football injury list.
Bray was signed to an two-year extension that will keep him through the 2017 season, but if he does not show Kansas City something in the preseason, then he could (and should) be on his way out.
Aaron Murray is in a good position to win the backup spot for the 2016 season. Coming off an ACL injury, some were worried if the fifth round draft pick would be the same gun-slinger he was in college for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he is the SEC Touchdown leader.
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Since he was the third string quarterback, he received little playing time in the 2015 preseason, but when he did have the opportunity, he looked very good. Obviously, it was also against second and third string defenses, so he may have looked better than he actually was, but he still showed the ability and mechanics to be a quarterback in the NFL. In the limited time he played, he threw 26 of 36 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns.
The new entry into the mix is newly drafted quarterback out of Stanford Kevin Hogan. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. According to nfl.com, Hogan has the size and mobility that most coaches love, but has poor footwork and mechanics. Andy Reid has been known to mold quarterbacks in to great players, so letting Hogan sit behind the other quarterbacks, and learn from a great coach could give the Chiefs a good starter in the future.
Next: Five Worst Starting Quarterbacks in Chiefs History
Alex Smith just turned 32, so it is to be believed that he still has some good football ahead of him, also he is under contract through the 2018 season. Alex Smith will be the starter this season, there’s no debating that. Murray should win the backup job, so there will be a battle between Bray and Hogan for that third roster slot. If Bray shows something special then Kansas City may let Hogan go. Chances are Bray will be the one leaving when final cuts come around.
Who do you think will be the backup when the 2016 season starts?