There’s no doubt about who Kansas City’s starting quarterback is and will be for the foreseeable future.
But the QB2 spot behind Patrick Mahomes has been critically important for the club over the last few years.
Chad Henne retired after the club won Super Bowl LVII last season. While Henne didn’t start a game, he did complete 5-of-7 passes for 23 yards with a touchdown in the divisional round after Mahomes had suffered a high-ankle sprain.
The Chiefs brought in Blaine Gabbert as a free agent this offseason and have had Shane Buechele in the building for the last two years. Now they’re competing for the backup role and there isn’t a clear frontrunner yet.
“Those two are real close, they’re real close in there,” head coach Andy Reid said on Monday, via Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com. “So they’re competing, just let it play out here, see how it goes. It’s good competition.”
Through two weeks of preseason play, Buechele is 21-of-28 for 260 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Gabbert is 11-of-16 for 179 yards with three touchdowns and no picks.
There’s a chance both Buechele and Gabbert could make the 53-man roster, which would allow the Chiefs to utilize the third quarterback rule. But even if both make it, only one would be the primary backup.
We’ll see how the competition shapes up with Gabbert and Buechele’s performances against the Browns on Saturday.
