The Kansas City Chiefs have lost quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks. After Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Week 15, the unlucky events continued the following week as Gardner Minshew left with a knee injury.
While it was believed he tore his ACL, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that tests revealed that Minshew's ACL is, in fact, intact, but he's still expected to miss time. The injury did force the Chiefs to re-sign a familiar face, as they signed QB Shane Buechele off the Buffalo Bills' practice squad.
Chiefs Signed QB Shane Buechele off Bills Practice Squad After Gardner Minshew’s Injury
It's great news for Minshew that he avoided a torn ACL; his 2025 season is still likely over. That meant Chris Oladokun was thrust into the QB1 spot, and the need for another QB was apparent. And Buechele is someone the franchise has a history with, giving them another option under center if needed.
Buechele came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and signed with the Chiefs. He spent two seasons with them before getting released in August 2023. Although he never got called up to the active roster while in KC, he still landed with the Bills.
The signal caller spent two years in Buffalo as well before the Chiefs plucked him following Minshew's injury. The luck that Kansas City has faced under center the last two weeks has been gut-wrenching, but there are still two games left on the schedule. They need to have an insurance policy, and that's what Buechele can provide.
During the 2025 preseason with the Bills, Buechele was 36-of-46 with 380 passing yards and one passing score. He was also up and down as a member of the Chiefs from 2021 to 2023. In nine preseason games, he was 97-of-151 (64%) for 1,106 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, and six interceptions. While the consistency is an issue, the veteran QB is still someone who gives the Chiefs a backup who knows the scheme and system.
Hopefully, the Chiefs don't suffer another injury at QB, as it would be great to see what Oladokun can bring to the table. In the loss to the Titans, he was 11-of-16 with 111 passing yards, while taking four sacks.
Games against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are still on the docket, but the Chiefs still needed another QB, which is why Buechele was such an easy decision to bring back this late in the campaign.