KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No, there’s not a quarterback controversy involving Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs. But there might be one brewing among 12th-year-veteran Blaine Gabbert and third-year understudy Shane Buechele.
And head coach Andy Reid did nothing to dispel the competition after Monday’s practice.
“Those two are real close, they’re real close in there,” Reid said. “So they’re competing, just let it play out here, see how it goes. It’s good competition.”
Buechele was virtually perfect in relief of Mahomes against Arizona Sunday, completing 10-of-10 passing for 105 yards. He led two scoring drives, capping off the first with a 15-yard scramble for a touchdown. Harrison Butker finished off the second drive with s 28-yard field goal.
Gabbert entered the game in the second half and was perfect in his own way — compiling a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. He finished his outing and 7-of-8 passing for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Reid said after the game Saturday that Gabbert wasn’t supposed to play. He held out No. 2 quarterback Chad Henne in the second preseason game a year ago, and the plan was the same for Gabbert against Arizona.
“Normally, the third guy goes, but both of them played great, and that’s a good thing that both really played good football,” Reid said.
In fact all four Kansas City quarterbacks feasted against the Cardinals. Mahomes finished 10-of-15 passing for 105 yards and a score while Chris Oladokun completed 4-of-5 passing for 63 yards.
“We take pride in that quarterback room and stepping in and making
plays happen,” Mahomes said after Saturday’s game. “I was proud of those guys. I probably played the worst out of all of them that played
today. That’s a good problem to have.”
The battle may conclude anticlimactically if Mahomes, Gabbert and Buechele make the 53-player roster but it’s still an open question who would step in should Mahomes go down with an injury during the regular season.
Wide Receiver Competition
An equally tough roster battle continues playing out in the team’s receiver group, and Reid acknowledge that fight at the bottom end of the depth chart.
“They’re competing like crazy,” Reid said. “You keep six or seven of those guys. So that six and seven spots going to be a pretty good battle.”
There is little doubt that Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson and Rashee Rice will make the active roster. After Saturday’s game at Arizona, Reid acknowledged Richie James will handle kickoff and punt returns, all but confirming a roster spot for him.
That’s five spots already without including Kadarius Toney, who will almost certainly hold down a roster spot on the initial 53-player squad. That leaves one spot remaining for Justyn Ross, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cornell Powell or another young receiver.
“We’ll see how it all winds down there as we go,” Reid said. “But it’s open. It’s wide open for those spots.”
Ross should certainly be viewed as the favorite for the seventh spot. But much will also depend on Toney, who is rehabbing from surgery for a torn meniscus performed on July 25. Reid didn’t give much clue Monday as for when Toney might return to practice.
“We’ll see,” he said. “Probably not tomorrow.”
