The Kansas City Chiefs have, for years, operated with a fairly consistent preseason strategy. Starters play for a few series, sometimes even a quarter, and then give way to backups to finish the job.
It's allowed the first-team offense and defense to get some valuable reps in ahead of the regular season, and the Chiefs have gotten off to historic starts in September, firmly performing better than teams like the Cincinnati Bengals who typically rest starters.
In a surprising piece of news, it sounds like head coach Andy Reid is going away from his standard strategy and is trying something new on Friday's second preseason contest.
Andy Reid says there’s a “good chance” Patrick Mahomes does not play Friday night — which was indicated in practice Wednesday. Also of note is that Travis Kelce worked scout team with Mahomes. I wouldn’t expect him to play vs. Seattle either. https://t.co/S4H6Vu3vQm
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) August 13, 2025
Andy Reid Reveals Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Likely Won't Play in 2nd Guillotine Game
Reid disclosed to reporters on Wednesday that there's a "good chance" that Mahomes doesn't play this week. Travis Kelce was working with the scout team as well, and it's not expected for him to suit up either.
The second preseason contest is typically the time that the first-team offense plays nearly a quarter. It's the ideal time for everyone to ensure they're up to speed, which makes this decision all the more curious. Reid never does this, and the examples in recent years of teams who don't play starters falling short early in the season is concerning, to say the least.
Mahomes doesn't need this practice. Neither does Kelce, for that matter. Either way, Reid's choice to change his strategy is one that needs to be monitored.
With a Brazil game against a division rival in the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 followed up by a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl rematch in Week 2 and a Baltimore Ravens showdown in Week 4, it's imperative for the organization to get off to a hot start. Albeit unlikely, it's not impossible for the Chiefs to get off a 1-3 start, making Reid's choice interesting at best.
The franchise has higher expectations than almost anyone in the league. If they're not going to approach this season in the same fashion that they have previously, it's alarming. Gardner Minshew has more than earned his chance to shine on Friday, but he's not the person who truly impacts the bottom line.
Mahomes is. Aside from keeping him healthy, it's hard to see why Reid is going against the conventional knowledge he's deployed for the majority of his coaching career. Fingers crossed it doesn't come back to bite Kansas City.