Kansas City Chiefs: Quarterback depth chart after 2019 NFL Draft

With the 2019 NFL Draft now a week old, the Kansas City Chiefs have a better idea of what their roster will look like. Starting quarterback is a no brainer, but what about the backup and third string options in Kansas City?

When Alex Smith was the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, fans were always fixating on the backup, and even third string, position. We all knew Smith wouldn’t be the answer long-term (though he did spend five years here and was one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history).

Now that Patrick Mahomes has taken over and done as well as he did (M-V-P, M-V-P), we’re no longer as interested in who the backup quarterback is.

That being said, it is an important position. With how the league is today, quarterbacks are EVERYTHING in the NFL. If Mahomes were to go down for whatever reason (knock on wood please), the backup quarterback is tasked with the job of keeping the team afloat.

Last season, it was Chad Henne who held the clipboard (or iPad?) on the sidelines. Henne didn’t see any playing time until the final game of the season, which was definitely a good thing, as it meant that Mahomes stayed healthy all season long.

While Henne is under contract for another year, he’s certainly not guaranteed to be the backup quarterback by the time the 2019 season gets underway. The Chiefs have five quarterbacks listed on their official roster. Here those guys are (listed alphabetically):

Chad Henne
Chase Litton
Patrick Mahomes
E.J. Manuel
Kyle Shurmur

Obviously, we know Mahomes is the starter. Most would probably assume Henne wins the backup job due to his experience in the league, but don’t count out Manuel or even Litton for that role.

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Litton was signed as a UDFA last year and looked pretty good in preseason. Yes, it was against third and fourth stringers, but still. A lot of quarterbacks struggle in those situations and Litton took advantage of his weak opposition.

Speaking of UDFA, Shurmur, the son of New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur, was signed shortly after the draft wrapped up. Shurmur played for Vanderbilt and in his four seasons there, threw for 8,865 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. His senior year saw him throw for 3,130 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

The Chiefs also signed T.J. Linta of Wagner and John Lovett of Princeton to UDFA contracts.

Linta threw for 1,481 yards and13 touchdowns in 2018 and what’s interesting about Linta is that he signed a THREE-year deal with the Chiefs. Three years? Does that mean the Chiefs have something special planned for the Wagner signal caller? Or will this be like Tyler Bray all over again?

Lovett threw for 1,833 yards and 18 touchdowns. Lovett is also listed as an ATH (athlete) and that is proven by his rushing numbers. He ran for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns while quarterbacking Princeton last year.

As Tom Pelissero notes in the tweet above, it’s possible that Andy Reid comes up with some creative ways to utilize Lovett. Think Taysom Hill of the Saints. So, more than likely, John Lovett will not be throwing passes as a Chief. At least not on a consistent basis.