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Kansas City Chiefs: What Shea Patterson can provide in 2020

By Leigh Oleszczak

MADISON, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 21: Shea Patterson #2 of the Michigan Wolverines looks to pass during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Michigan 35-14. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 21: Shea Patterson #2 of the Michigan Wolverines looks to pass during a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Michigan 35-14. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Chiefs signed Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson as an undrafted free agent. What should fans expect from him?

There’s no debate about who the starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs will be in 2020, but the backup and third string positions are most certainly up for grabs. Fans saw how important it was to have a reliable backup last season, as Patrick Mahomes was injured and missed two starts as a result.

Matt Moore stepped in and did all that was asked of him. His play saved the Chiefs’ season and helped get them in position to make it to their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

Having a solid backup quarterback is important for all teams, but for a team like the Chiefs who rely heavily on their franchise signal caller, it’s even more important that the backup be ready to step in if need be.

All of that being said, it’s doubtful that Shea Patterson – a UDFA out of Michigan – will be the backup for the Chiefs in 2020. He can still have a role on the team however.

How can Shea Patterson help the Kansas City Chiefs?

When first glancing at the Chiefs’ roster, it seems rather obvious that the three quarterbacks to make the 55-man roster will be Mahomes, Chad Henne, and Jordan Ta’amu. Henne was the backup in 2018 and was supposed to have the same role in 2019, but was injured during preseason and spent the entire season on injured reserve.

Ta’amu was signed this offseason after having a nice season in the XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks. He and Patterson actually were teammates at Ole Miss before Ta’amu graduated and Patterson transferred to Michigan.

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When looking at the duo of Henne and Ta’amu, Henne probably wins the backup job due to his experience in the NFL while Ta’amu still probably finds his way onto the roster as a Taysom Hill type of player for the offense. He’s very much someone Andy Reid would want to utilize in several different roles.

So, where does that leave Patterson?

The easiest answer is that he’ll likely have a spot on the practice squad. That means another team could pluck him off of it and add him to their roster if they so choose, but that doesn’t seem to be all that likely. The only other option is that Patterson won’t make the team at all.

While it’s fun to speculate about what needs to happen for these UDFA rookies to make the roster, it’s not a realistic scenario for Shea Patterson. Unless something goes horribly awry in 2020, Patterson won’t see the field during the course of the 2020 regular season.

What he could provide, however, is competition to Henne and Ta’amu and make them step their games up this summer in training camp and preseason. If he plays really well, perhaps he can pass one of those guys on the depth chart, but it isn’t a realistic scenario by any means.

Do you have any expectations for Shea Patterson in 2020?

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