The Kansas City Chiefs have had a fairly obvious quarterback plan ever since signing Gardner Minshew. Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is clearly the focal point of the franchise, but Minshew is perhaps the most accomplished backup that Mahomes has ever had.
Given that head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach have typically kept just two signal callers on the active roster on top of having an emergency option available on game days, both Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokun were always going to be cut. The question is just which one of them will land on the practice squad as the emergency quarterback.
Oladokun announced his own release on social media on Tuesday, and it sounds like he's taking things in stride despite being faced with his own football mortality.
Bad news: I was waived today.
— Chris Oladokun (@1Chrisoladokun0) August 26, 2025
Good news: if I didn’t have the day off today, I wouldn’t have been able to slam dunk a 40 yard wedge shot for birdie.⛳️😂
Excited for the future!#PositiveVibesOnly
Chiefs QB Chris Oladokun Shows Brave Face After Release from KC
Oladokun shared a social media post declaring that he'd been released, but he put a humorous spin on the unfortunate news.
"Bad news: I was waived today," Oladokun wrote on X. "Good news: if I didn’t have the day off today, I wouldn’t have been able to slam dunk a 40 yard wedge shot for birdie."
He followed that up by saying that he was "Excited for the future!" and seemed generally optimistic about his career prospects. Oladokun should feel confident, as his dual-threat ability has proved invaluable when defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needs to prepare for quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson. This isn't the first time that Oladokun has been cut and come back, so he likely knows that he'll have opportunities, whether in Kansas City or elsewhere.
The 27-year-old, who was originally a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been with the Chiefs for several years. He knows the system, he's liked by his teammates, and he brings something to the table that other third-stringers can't, thanks to his legs.
In all likelihood, Oladokun will never appear in an NFL game. Despite his preseason success in recent years, he hasn't shown the type of processing ability and accuracy that teams expect out of their starters. He can carve out a long career either way, and the franchise is expected to pursue him for that practice squad spot.
It's a great look for Oladokun to take his release in stride. Now, it's just a question of whether or not he wins that emergency job over Zappe as expected.