Chris Oladokun Steps In and Nearly Leads Chiefs Past Broncos in Stunning Christmas Day Performance
On Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs nearly pulled off what would’ve been one of the most improbable wins of the NFL season - and they did it without Patrick Mahomes or even their backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew.
With both Mahomes and Minshew sidelined by season-ending injuries - Mahomes to a torn ACL and LCL, Minshew to a freak lower-body injury shortly after taking over - the Chiefs turned to third-stringer Chris Oladokun. And the former South Dakota State quarterback didn’t just manage the game. He gave the Chiefs a real shot to take down one of the NFL’s best in the Denver Broncos.
Let’s pause there for a second: No Mahomes, no Minshew, and yet Kansas City still took a top-tier team down to the wire. That’s not just a testament to the coaching staff - it’s a credit to Oladokun, who stepped into the spotlight and played like he’d been there before.
Oladokun Delivers in the Moment
Thrown into the fire, Oladokun didn’t flinch. He ran the offense with poise and even flashed some of that signature Mahomes flair - off-platform throws, improvisation under pressure, and the kind of command you don’t usually see from a quarterback making his first NFL start.
He looked comfortable in a system designed around one of the most uniquely talented quarterbacks in league history. And while no one’s confusing Oladokun for Mahomes, the fact that the offense kept humming - and nearly knocked off a team with one of the league’s best records - raised some eyebrows.
The Internet Reacts: “System QB?”
Naturally, the performance sparked a wave of reactions online. One fan joked that Oladokun even sounded like Mahomes in his postgame interview - a clip that quickly made the rounds on social media.
“Why does he low key sound like Mahomes 😭 is that a requirement for a KC QB?” one fan asked, as the video of Oladokun discussing Travis Kelce’s future circulated.
Others joined in on the fun. “All Chief QBs are required to huff helium before taking the podium,” one person quipped. Another chimed in: “Is this now just the build-a-player name for the Chiefs quarterback no matter who it is?”
But amid the jokes, there was a more serious undercurrent to the conversation - one that questioned just how much of Mahomes’ success is tied to Andy Reid’s system and the infrastructure around him. “Mahomes is a system QB - they almost beat the best team in the NFL with this dude no one heard of,” one commenter wrote. “Without Reid and Spags, they’re a below average team.”
That take might be a stretch, but it speaks to just how impressive the Chiefs looked despite missing their top two quarterbacks. And it says a lot about the culture in Kansas City - a team that doesn’t just rely on star power, but one that’s built to compete no matter who’s under center.
A Glimpse of What’s Next?
Oladokun’s performance was more than just a feel-good story on a holiday slate. It was a reminder that depth matters, that coaching matters, and that sometimes, the next man up really can deliver.
Whether this was a one-off or the start of something more for Oladokun remains to be seen. But for one night, he stepped into a pressure cooker of a game and nearly pulled off the unthinkable - and he did it with confidence, command, and just a little bit of that Mahomes magic.
In Kansas City, that’s more than enough to get people talking.