The Chiefs are signing a former Missouri Tigers QB. He’ll compete to back up Mahomes
The Chiefs have their next veteran backup quarterback, and he’s a signal-caller most in the Kansas City area are familiar with.
The Super Bowl champs are signing former Missouri Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert to a one-year deal, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Tuesday afternoon with The Star. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Gabbert’s addition comes a little more than two months since veteran Chad Henne announced his retirement following the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
Gabbert’s presence bolsters the Chiefs’ quarterback group behind reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes. The former Mizzou star will compete with Shane Buechele to be Mahomes’ primary backup.
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound Gabbert, a native of Ballwin, Missouir, entered the league in 2011 as the 10th overall draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he enjoyed a prolific college career, Gabbert’s role in the NFL has been mostly as a backup quarterback — although he was the starter during his first three seasons in Jacksonville.
He’s spent time with the Jaguars (2011-13), San Francisco 49ers (2014-16), Arizona Cardinals (2017), Tennessee Titans (2018) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22).
Gabbert has appeared in 67 career regular-season games with 48 starts (27 with Jacksonville), passing for 9,302 yards, 51 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He is 13-35 as a starter and was a member of the Buccaneers team that defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
News of Gabbert’s signing first broke on the Pat McAfee Show.
