Kansas City Chiefs: Early Interest Being Shown In Quarterbacks

The NFL Combine is underway and the Kansas City Chiefs are showing some early interest in quarterbacks. The team has met with several of the top prospects already.

There is no doubt that Kansas City Chiefs fans are getting anxious about the quarterback position in the upcoming draft. After a disappointing playoff exit to end the season, Chiefs fans are frothing for a change at quarterback. For their own part, the KC leadership has stood firm behind Alex Smith as the starter. However, it is being reported that the team is meeting with top quarterback prospects at the Combine.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Even if Alex Smith is the starter for now, there are just two years left on his contract. It only makes sense that the Chiefs would be thinking about the future of the position. That means every option needs to be explored this offseason.

The NFL Combine is the perfect place for the Kansas City Chiefs to explore their options. All of the top quarterback prospects are in the same building, hoping to impress a future employer. The Chiefs, and other teams, will have a real chance to learn about each of these quarterbacks. So far, it has been confirmed that KC has met with Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, Pat Mahomes, DeShone Kizer, and Brad Kaaya.

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By the time the Combine is over, I expect that the Chiefs will have met with every quarterback in attendance. However, it is notable that the team has met with most of the top prospects early on. This does indicate there is interest in drafting a quarterback. That is something ESPN’s Mel Kiper said the Chiefs will absolutely do this year.

Not So Fast

Of course, “interest” does not equate a desire to draft a player. The Chiefs are still in their investigation phase, just like the rest of the league. Right now, the team is trying to learn more about these players. For some, what the team learns won’t be good. Showing interest in getting a quarterback in the draft is not the same thing as actually drafting one.

There are other factors involved as well. It shouldn’t be forgotten that there were many reports of the Chiefs wanting to draft Paxton Lynch last year. There was enough to those rumors that the Broncos traded up to get him. So even if the Kansas City Chiefs like a quarterback, there is no guarantee that they will be able to draft him.

Finally, there is also the issue of Nick Foles and Tyler Bray. Despite reports that the Chiefs will not pick up the option on Foles’s contract, he is still on the roster. It is notable that KC chose to recently cut Jamaal Charles instead of Foles. That may be a contractual issue, or it may be a sign that the team is not yet sold on this year’s quarterback options. That would certainly jive with what many think of this draft class.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are in a good situation to draft a quarterback. It remains to be seen what actions they take to make that happen. However, if there is an option that Andy Reid and John Dorsey like, it’s hard to see the team passing on that player. The Chiefs are in a great position to maintain a strong team moving forward. We’ll see how this plays out.