The Chiefs are walking a thin line with Patrick Mahomes still working his way back from a torn ACL, and the preseason has only made the quarterback picture murkier.
Mahomes suffered the injury in December and hasn’t been able to play in the preseason, though the hope is still that he’ll be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, Justin Fields has been getting the starts, and the early returns haven’t inspired much confidence.
That’s the concern Jesse Newell of The Athletic highlighted after Fields’ latest outing.
“It hasn’t been a great training camp for quarterback Justin Fields, and while Saturday wasn’t a disaster, it still wasn’t a real step forward, either. Fields completed 9 of 12 passes for 64 yards while also taking a costly 20-yard sack on a third-and-goal from the Bucs’ 7,” Newell wrote.
“It sure seems as if the Chiefs have plans to use Fields some as a short-yardage weapon this season - especially with quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovering from December knee surgery. It’s unclear where the team’s confidence in Fields as a passer is right now, though, especially with a growing preseason sample size.”
Fields has struggled to separate himself in either preseason game. In the opener, he went 4-for-4 for 41 yards and added nine rushing yards on two carries.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he finished 9 of 12 for 64 yards, was sacked twice and ran for 15 yards on one carry. The Chiefs have lost both games, and Fields hasn’t done enough to quiet the questions.
That leaves Kansas City in a tricky spot behind Mahomes. One possible answer is Garrett Nussmeier, the seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
He threw for 98 yards on 13 of 19 passing in his first preseason game, then followed that with a 9-for-17, 74-yard performance in the second. Nussmeier showed he can throw it in college, but he never offered much as a runner, which matters if the Chiefs really do want a backup who can handle short-yardage work.
Another name in the mix is Diego Pavia, who looks like the kind of quarterback who could fit that role. Pavia ran for 3,094 yards and 31 touchdowns in his FBS career, though his passing has not always been as sharp.
Jimmy Garoppolo is also out there. He hasn’t officially retired, but he remains unsigned. If Kansas City could get him to come out of retirement, they’d be adding a passer with real starting experience and 64 career starts.
Other available options include Jeff Driskel and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but if the Chiefs are going to make a change, they need to move quickly.
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Chiefs Preseason Loss Put One Roster Battle Front And Center
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Harrison Butkers 69-yard field goal was the headline moment of the night, but his late go-ahead attempt missed and helped turn the final stretch into another reminder of how quickly roster evaluations can shift in August. For Kansas City, the game also put one battle front and center, with every snap and special-teams decision carrying extra weight as the roster picture starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Roster Battle Just Got More Complicated After Buccaneers Test
The Chiefs preseason meeting with the Buccaneers added another layer to a roster fight that already had plenty of moving parts. Games like this tend to sharpen the edges of the competition, and Kansas City got a useful look at who helped their case and who left the coaching staff with more to sort through as cut-down decisions draw closer.
Harrison Butker again steadied things, while R Mason Thomas and Felix Anudike-Uzomah gave the front a push with performances that stood out in a game built around evaluation. On the other side, Jaylon Moore, Kahlil Benson and Justin Fields found themselves on the wrong end of the review, which is exactly the kind of uneven showing that can turn a simple preseason snapshot into a much more complicated depth chart puzzle. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Preseason Loss Still Put Two Young Offensive Names On Notice
With Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Trey Smith all sidelined while they recover from injuries, the Chiefs have spent their first two preseason games giving younger offensive players a longer look. It has been the kind of August stretch that can make or break roster battles, and two names have started to stand out in a meaningful way.
Emmett Johnson gave the offense a lift with a touchdown in the second preseason game against the Buccaneers, while second-year receiver Jalen Royals led Kansas City in receiving yards. Andy Reid liked what he saw from Royals, and both players are trying to position themselves as useful role pieces for the 2026 season, even if the preseason result itself did not go Kansas City's way. [Read more 🡒]