The Kansas City Chiefs parted ways with backup Gardner Minshew in the 2026 offseason, leaving the team searching for stability at the position as Patrick Mahomes works his way back from injury. Having a reliable second option with Mahomes coming off the first serious injury of his career makes a great deal of sense. However, this demoted Chris Oladokun with the Chiefs bringing in Justin Fields and pushing the signal-caller into the emergency quarterback role.
While this was far from ideal, there was at least the ability to maintain a hold on a roster spot that now appears to be in question. One of the more interesting picks the Chiefs made in this year's draft was adding LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. This decision has seemingly pushed Oladokun off Kansas City's roster and left the quarterback facing an incredibly uncertain future.
This points to how quickly things can change in the league, as only months ago, Oladokun was Kansas City's starting quarterback due to injury issues at the position. The QB was unable to cement his role and now appears set for relegation as the franchise has made it clear they're ready to turn the page.
Fields is clearly the second option behind Mahomes, who is doing everything in his power to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. This leaves Oladokun's only path to making Kansas City's roster as beating out Nussmeier for the emergency third quarterback role.
Chiefs Offseason Clearly Setting the Stage for Chris Oladokun's Exit
It seems incredibly unlikely that Oladokun will be able to hold onto a roster spot where the Chiefs have spent both trade assets and a late-round draft pick. Nussmeier has the advantage of being an unknown option. There is viable hope that Kansas City's strong coaching staff can develop the signal caller into a potential long-term backup option.
This leaves Oladokun hoping for a role on the practice squad, at best, or considering other landing spots, at worst. No matter how it plays out, it is clear that the signal caller is facing an uphill battle to make the team's final roster.
The most likely outcome is that Mahomes is ready to start the season, with Fields and Nussmeier being the primary backup options. For Oladokun, this is a clear setback and speaks to the lack of growth shown after failing to take advantage of last season's starting opportunity.
No question, Oladokun is quietly one of the team's biggest losers from the offseason decisions. There isn't a clear path remaining to a roster spot, barring a complete camp and preseason collapse from the rookie. An unlikely scenario for an experienced college starter, but KC clearly has a level of trust in moving forward.
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