The Kansas City Chiefs are going into an important offseason and one of the biggest storylines is the recovery of Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes tore his ACL in a Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention and the concern is whether he’ll be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
While Mahomes’s progress will be closely monitored between here and next September, the Chiefs may have another quarterback issue to worry about.
Backup Chris Oladokun made his second start for Kansas City in its season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and it did not go well. He posted just 11-for-17 passes for 58 yards before being benched for third-string quarterback Shane Buechele.
The performance may have helped the Chiefs in that it secured the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But it’s also bad news considering Kansas City will need to find a more reliable backup quarterback for next season.
The Chiefs Need a New Backup Quarterback for 2026 After Chris Oladokun Nightmare
The Chiefs backup quarterback problem is a box that many wish had never opened. Kansas City went into the season by signing Gardner Minshew to backup Mahomes, yet he left his relief appearance lasted just one start after suffering a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture in his left knee in a Dec. 21 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
That opened up an opportunity for Oladokun, who had bounced back and forth between the Chiefs active roster and practice squad since entering the league as a draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. That chance was quickly squandered by the South Dakota State product, however, as he completed 24-of-38 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown in two games (one start) entering Sunday’s game.
Any chance that Oladokun had to be the backup quarterback is now officially down the drain and there’s a good chance that Minshew could look for another team when he hits the market again next spring. Even if Minshew wants to come back, the Chiefs probably don’t want to hold their breath over two recovering quarterbacks, pointing further toward finding a different option to go into next season.
The list of candidates isn’t impressive, though it has some names that could start if Mahomes isn’t ready for the beginning of the season. Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco may not come as cheap as Minshew, yet it’s worth the cost of insurance to make sure Oladokun’s performance on Sunday doesn’t bleed into the 2026 season where KC hopes to contend again.