The Kansas City Chiefs were dealt another brutal blow on Sunday when quarterback Gardner Minshew left Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest reported that Minshew “likely suffered a torn ACL in his left knee” and will undergo an MRI to confirm the injury.
While the Chiefs have already been eliminated from playoff contention and the job ultimately belongs to Patrick Mahomes, who is also recovering from a torn ACL, Minshew’s injury creates the immediate question of who will be the starting quarterback for the final two games. But even if they trust Chris Oladokun, who completed 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards in relief of Minshew against the Titans, they’ll still need a backup, which could lead to a reunion with former Chief Shane Buechele.
Chiefs Could Bring Back Shane Buechele After Gardner Minshew’s Injury
A former undrafted free agent with the Chiefs, Buechele has been hanging around the Buffalo Bills the past two years after Kansas City released him after training camp in 2023. While Buechele has never appeared in an NFL game, he’s been a mainstay on the Bills' practice squad and has re-signed with the team twice before turning in a solid performance this preseason.
Buechele completed 25-of-30 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown with 20 rushing yards in the Bills’ three preseason games, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But there wasn’t any room for him on the active roster with Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky entrenched in the top two roles, leading to his release. The Bills didn’t get rid of Buchele completely after the preseason, signing him to the team’s practice squad, and that could allow the Chiefs to sign him to the active roster for the rest of the season.
A former Texas and SMU product, Buechele showed dual-threat ability during his collegiate career, especially when he transferred to the Mustangs following the 2019 season. While he led the American Conference with 34 touchdown passes, he showed a knack for getting yards on the ground with 210 yards and four touchdowns over his final two seasons in 2019 and 2020.
At this point, the Chiefs need someone who can wear the uniform. Minshew was supposed to take over for Mahomes, but it opened the door for Oladokun. While Oladokun could be the starter due to his long tenure with the team, Buechele is a quarterback who has experience with the offense, too, and could step in if Kansas City runs into more bad injury luck.
In a rough season, this is where the Chiefs stand and could make the call to bring back Buechele leading up to their final two weeks.