The Kansas City Chiefs are in scramble mode at the quarterback position heading into the final stretch of the season. With Patrick Mahomes already sidelined by a knee injury and Gardner Minshew going down with a similar issue in Week 16, the team has turned to a familiar face: Shane Buechele.
Buechele is being signed off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, returning to a Chiefs team where he spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons. While he’s yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL, Buechele was part of the roster during Kansas City's Super Bowl win over the Eagles in 2023. Now 27, he’s looking to finally get his shot under the bright lights.
The move comes out of necessity more than anything. With Mahomes out and Minshew now expected to miss significant time-though thankfully avoiding an ACL tear-the Chiefs were left with just one healthy quarterback: Chris Oladokun.
The second-year signal-caller was thrust into action on Sunday against the Titans after Minshew exited in the second quarter. Oladokun held his own, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards, but the offense failed to find the end zone in a 26-9 loss-Kansas City’s ninth of the season.
Buechele’s journey back to Arrowhead is a full-circle moment. After going undrafted in 2021, he signed with the Chiefs and spent two seasons developing behind Mahomes.
He joined Buffalo’s practice squad in 2023, but a neck injury kept him sidelined for the entire 2024 season. He didn’t make the Bills’ 53-man roster this year but was re-signed to their practice squad the next day.
Now, with the Chiefs in desperate need of depth, he’s getting another chance.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Kansas City is set to face the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day, and with their top two quarterbacks out, the coaching staff has some big decisions to make.
Will they roll with Oladokun, who showed poise in limited action? Or will Buechele, who knows the system and the personnel, get the nod despite his lack of game experience?
One thing’s for sure: this isn’t the quarterback room the Chiefs envisioned heading into the season. But with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, they’ll need to get creative-and fast.
And in a twist that could have long-term implications beyond the field, the franchise has announced plans to leave Missouri. The Chiefs are expected to relocate to Kansas, a move that will undoubtedly send shockwaves through the fanbase and the broader NFL landscape.
For now, though, the focus is squarely on patching together a quarterback plan that can keep the season alive. Whether it’s Oladokun, Buechele, or a combination of both, the Chiefs are entering the holiday stretch with their backs against the wall and their depth chart being tested like never before.