With two games left, Chris Oladokun takes over as Chiefs’ starting quarterback
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Chiefs promoted practice‑squad QB Chris Oladokun to start after two injuries
- Oladokun went 11-of-16 for 111 yards, provided late-game poise and movement
- Coach Reid and GM Veach plan to pursue a backup as Oladokun readies for Christmas start
It’s not often a third-string, practice-squad quarterback is thrust into a game, but that’s exactly what transpired Sunday in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Just a week after Patrick Mahomes’ season ended due to a torn ACL, backup QB Gardner Minshew also suffered a significant knee injury. That meant Chris Oladokun — a 2022 seventh-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers — would have to lead the Chiefs.
“You see Gardner go down, and I hate it for him,” Oladokun said. “And the next thing my mind went to is, ‘I’ve got to rally the troops now and go win a football game.’ Those guys out there, they battled their (tails) off, and I can’t say enough good things.
“You’re out there, and my first (NFL) completion is to Travis Kelce — (I’ve) built a great relationship with him over the last couple of years, but if you would have told me (that) my first completion in the NFL was going to be to him, (I) probably would have laughed at you.”
Oladokun’s pass to Kelce got the Chiefs into field-goal range, and Harrison Butker’s 54-yard field goal gave the Chiefs a brief 3-2 lead — their only one of the game. With no two-minute reps since summer’s training camp, Oladokun later led a two-minute drive to get Kansas City to within in three at the half.
KC had been struggling to get anything going with a laboring Minshew, and Oladokun provided a jolt of genuine life.
“I thought he did OK,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said of Oladokun’s performance. “He was able to get us moving a little bit, and I probably could have given him better stuff to work with — and in particular give him some more reps during the week.
“He didn’t have any reps to lead him, but for what he was asked to do, I thought he did a nice job.”
Though the Chiefs didn’t win, Oladokun proved serviceable, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and rushing for another seven. The fourth-year pro said that when he picked up his cell phone to check his messages in the locker room, Mahomes’ name was the first one he saw.
Oladokun credits Mahomes for his progress behind the scenes, going as far as calling him a big brother. And that influence showed up on the field early in the third quarter on a 31-yard completion to Isiah Pacheco.
In true Mahomes fashion, Oladokun escaped pressure by rolling to the right sideline. The linebackers drew in, and he lobbed a perfect toss to Pacheco, who took it up the field for a first down.
“As soon as I threw it, I looked right at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “And I’ve seen (Mahomes) do that a couple times. I had to make sure. I’ve just seen it so many times, it’s where I naturally went to. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Oladokun will need to take those lessons from Mahomes and the experience he garnered Sunday and move on quickly, as he is now the expected starter for Thursday’s Christmas night game against the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Chris, he’s been out there,” Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy said. “You’ve seen him in some preseason games — he’s been out there and made plays. (We’re) just going to go out there and work for him.”
For better or for worse, Sunday’s lineup showed that the Chiefs are continuing to do everything in their power to win football games. And an upset victory over the Broncos could spoil Denver’s hopes of securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed and bye.
“I’m ready for the opportunity,” Oladokun said. “It’s not only a great opportunity for me, but a great opportunity for our team — to go out there and battle, man. That’s all I can ask of these guys, to go out there and battle. Obviously, we have a lot of young guys playing, but it’s great experience not only for me but for all our young guys playing. It’s going to be real valuable for us moving forward for years to come here in Kansas City.
“It’s Christmas Day. The possibility of me making a first start on Christmas Day is pretty special. I have family in town and stuff like that, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Reid confirmed Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will look to bring in a quarterback this week, now presumably to serve as Oladokun’s backup.
It certainly was never the way he wanted to earn his first start, but for Oladokun, Christmas may have arrived early.
