Not so long ago, Garrett Nussmeier was projected to be a first-round pick. In fact, he could've been in the conversation as the first quarterback off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, a strong is injuries his senior season derailed a once-promising prospect's draft stock. But the talent is still there.
That's why the Kansas City Chiefs rolled the dice on the LSU product late in the draft. They would never move on from Patrick Mahomes, but a contending team is only as good as its backup quarterback, and Nussmeier has the potential to be a very good one.
Fast forward to today, and it seems that he might be ahead of schedule. In fact, the 24-year-old might be climbing his way up in the pecking order. According to Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star, the offense even looked better with him than with through to be entrenched QB2 Justin Fields during spring workouts:
""I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Nussmeier. I think there were times when Fields would come off the field and Nussmeier would come in as first team and second team. I would say as far as comfort level within the offense, I wouldn’t say that Fields was better than Nussmeier. I think it’s a very, very interesting thing given the fact that Mahomes might not be ready and even get to a point where the Chiefs might consider Nussmeier. If Fields were to struggle in training camp perhaps it could get interesting. I don’t think it's as written in stone that [Fields] is the best option behind Mahomes.""Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star
Garrett Nussmeier putting early pressure on Justin Fields for the Chiefs' QB2 job
Trading for Justin Fields made perfect sense at the time. Despite his well-documented struggles, Fields was an experienced dual-threat quarterback who might be better suited to a backup role. In fact, one could make a case for being a higher-echelon substitute.
Nussmeier, however, was a bona fide starter when he was at his peak in college, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. That's meaningless if it doesn't translate to the pros, but now that he's back to full strength, the arm talent is starting to show again.
The Chiefs should take things slowly with Patrick Mahomes. If that means having him sit for a game or two, so be it. And as much as Fields might put them in a better position to succeed than an unproven first-year guy, the tape doesn't lie, and Andy Reid knows a thing or two about offense.
Nussmeier might follow other quarterbacks' paths by sitting behind a superstar, learning the ropes of the position, and soaking in as much information as possible. Then, the Chiefs can use him as a valuable trade chip, or he can simply walk away in free agency and get a lucrative deal elsewhere.
Getting the stamp of approval and the nod to be Patrick Mahomes' backup will certainly be a major step in that direction. And while Nussmeier still needs to hold his ground in training camp, it sounds like he's trending in the right direction.
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