Chiefs Send QB Packing Ahead of Roster Cutdown Deadline

The 2024 NFL season's 53-man roster deadline is on Tuesday and the Kansas City Chiefs haven't wasted any time trimming the fat.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Chiefs have waived quarterback Ian Book. The former 2021 fourth-rounder signed a futures contract with the franchise back in January and was expected to compete for the backup QB job this summer.

Chiefs Roster News: Kansas City Waives QB Ian Book

While it's never fun seeing someone's NFL dreams crushed, Chiefs fans aren't too surprised by Book's outcome. The writing was on the wall the moment that Kansas City signed veteran gunslinger Carson Wentz — a former MVP candidate — to a one-year contract back in April.

Book was drafted 133rd overall by the New Orleans Saints in 2021 after throwing for nearly 9,000 yards and 72 touchdowns throughout his five-year run at Notre Dame. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with the Saints as Book was waived in the following offseason, leading to his spending parts of the last two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots before landing with the Chiefs.

Interestingly enough, Book wasn't that bad for the Chiefs this preseason. While he didn't blow anyone's mind, the former All-ACC gunslinger still went 16-for-22 (72.7%) in the pocket for 133 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a 118.2 passer rating.

For comparison, Chris Oladokun — the Chiefs' likely QB3 — finished with 250 passing yards with one TD to two interceptions and a 74.1 passer rating in August.

While Book won't be hanging around Kansas City anymore, his preseason performance likely secured him a look from another NFL team. He's only 26 years old and with how quickly QB injuries can rack up around the league, it might not be much longer before he receives another opportunity.

For now, Wentz and Oladokun will open the season as Patrick Mahomes' backup signal-callers. The duo likely won't see much action, though, given that Mahomes has only missed two games in the last four seasons.

Mahomes remaining healthy is crucial if Kansas City wants to pull off the NFL's first-ever championship three-peat. The chances of that happening are promising, though, as the Chiefs are currently FanDuel Sportsbook's +550 favorite to win Super Bowl LIX.

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