The second Kansas City Chiefs preseason game is in the books, and yet again Patrick Mahomes was held out coming off an ACL tear. This doesn't come as a surprise, with the Chiefs having every reason to be extra cautious with the quarterback. This provided rookie Garrett Nussmeier another chance to step into the lineup and make the case that Kansas City needs to carry a third quarterback on the active roster. Two games into the preseason, it is impossible to believe the Chiefs are going to risk stashing Nussmeier on the practice squad.
Carrying three quarterbacks appears to be the plan after Nussmeier had another impressive showing, going 9/17 for 74 yards and flashing a surprising level of capability. It is far from perfect, as the rookie signal caller is not perfect and is hitting bumps in the road. However, this is exactly why Justin Fields was brought in to provide a level of proven stability at the position. Nussmeier is a project quarterback with a chance to develop into a long-term option behind Patrick Mahomes.
Nussmeier has all of the needed tools but simply is going to need time to develop, and that was on display on Saturday night. You could see the best version of the quarterback as well as the reason why he fell to the draft's final round.
For the Chiefs, the second preseason game was a continuation of what Nussmeier has shown throughout camp. The obvious arm talent was shown, though there were a handful of plays when the rookie was a beat behind the play and made a decision just a bit too late.
Chiefs cannot risk Garrett Nussmeier getting swept up from team's practice squad
It makes sense for Kansas City to carry three quarterbacks not only based on Nussmeier's performance, but also due to Mahomes coming off such a serious injury. While the legendary quarterback has defied expectations with his comeback, there is no question that having a bit of depth at the position would be wise to give the Chiefs more fallback.
Fields is and should continue to remain the team's primary backup option. While his time in both games has perhaps been a tad slower-moving compared to Nussmeier's, his movement out of the pocket is a weapon, and his experience does show at times, whereas Nussmeier's inexperience can be glaring.
With that said, the Chiefs need to see the rookie finish the preseason in strong fashion with a game free of any obvious regression. While some of the same rookie struggles should be expected, Nussmeier appears to be on the right track, with Saturday showing exactly why he will be an important piece of the Chiefs' roster.
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