The Kansas City Chiefs made a needed 2026 offseason improvement by bringing in experienced starter Justin Fields to back up Patrick Mahomes. This was done after a season in which the franchise lost not only Mahomes to injury, but also backup QB Gardner Minshew, who signed an offseason deal with the Arizona Cardinals. For a short time, the door was open for Chris Oladokun to become the team's primary backup and solidify his roster spot. Instead, the Chiefs brought in not only Fields but also former Saints quarterback Jake Haener.
This was shortly after Oladokun spent time under center for Kansas City and offered middling results. The signal caller played in three games and had 235 passing yards and one touchdown. It was clear the coaching staff had zero trust in the quarterback, and this was evidenced by the fact that Oladokun averaged just 4.3 yards per attempt.
Kansas City responded to this by bringing in Fields and Haener, leaving a clear battle for the final spot in the QB room. Fields is in no danger of losing his backup role, leaving the emergency quarterback spot for either Haener or Oladokun to claim in camp and the preseason.
Oladokun clearly fumbled his opportunity in Kansas City's lineup to prove himself capable of holding the backup position. Not only did the Chiefs bring in a more capable option, but the franchise made their lack of trust in Oladokun clear by setting up a preseason battle for the final spot.
Chiefs Offseason Shows Chris Oladokun Must Fight for 2026 Roster Spot
Haener has limited experience as well, offering 226 passing yards and a touchdown in his young career. Considering the stability at the top of the depth chart at the position, this is a battle that Kansas City will allow to decide itself in preseason action.
Mahomes is unlikely to spend much time in the summer lineup, coming off an ACL injury that should keep the veteran out of a lot of camp and preseason action. This leaves a myriad of snaps to be filled, setting the stage for Oladokun to take advantage of the opportunity that lies ahead.
For Oladokun, it has to serve as motivation that the Chiefs had no belief in the quarterback's ability to hold the primary backup role, but also signing an option to serve in the emergency QB spot. The message has been sent that there is zero trust in the signal caller, and if he is going to remain a part of the active roster, the spot must be earned.
It sets up what should be an entertaining camp and preseason battle for Kansas City fans looking for any interesting stories to follow on a veteran team. Having two new faces at quarterback, coupled with the distinct possibility of Oladokun's exit after spending parts of four seasons with the franchise.
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