Chris Oladokun's Unexpected Shot: From Practice Squad Staple to Chiefs' QB1 (For Now)
The Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 season has gone sideways in a hurry. What started with Super Bowl aspirations has turned into a patchwork effort just to stay upright. Injuries have hit hard-most notably to Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL-and now, after Gardner Minshew exited Week 16 with a knee injury of his own, the Chiefs have turned to a name most fans probably hadn’t thought about all year: Chris Oladokun.
Yes, that Chris Oladokun-the former seventh-round pick who, until Sunday, had never thrown a regular-season pass in the NFL. Suddenly, the keys to one of the league’s most dynamic offenses were in the hands of a player with five total NFL snaps to his name.
Four handoffs. One scramble.
That was the résumé. And yet, here he was, under the bright lights against the Tennessee Titans, trying to keep the Chiefs’ season from completely unraveling.
The Long Road to Relevance
Oladokun’s path to this moment is anything but conventional. Drafted in 2022-not by Kansas City, but by the Pittsburgh Steelers-he came into the league as a developmental flier, taken six rounds after the Steelers made Kenny Pickett their quarterback of the future. That plan didn’t exactly pan out for Pittsburgh, and Oladokun didn’t even make it past final roster cuts.
That’s when Kansas City stepped in, seeing value in a raw but intriguing dual-threat quarterback. Since then, Oladokun has been a familiar face around the Chiefs’ facility, bouncing between the practice squad, offseason roster, and occasional active roster stints. But what he hadn’t done, until Week 16, was play in a meaningful game.
This wasn’t a case of a rookie getting his feet wet. Oladokun is 28 now.
He’s been around long enough to know the system, the expectations, and the stakes. Still, nothing quite prepares you for being thrown into the fire in December, with playoff hopes flickering and a fanbase desperate for answers.
A College Career That Took the Scenic Route
To understand Oladokun’s journey, you have to go back to his college days-a winding, three-stop tour that finally found traction in his final season.
He started at South Florida, where he redshirted and eventually earned a shot at the starting job. That stint didn’t go well.
In three starts, he went 0-3 and completed just 50 percent of his passes. With his future in Tampa uncertain, he transferred to Samford at the FCS level.
There, he showed flashes but never fully took hold of the starting job, making only eight starts across three seasons and eventually settling into a backup role.
His final move-to South Dakota State in 2022-was where things finally clicked. Oladokun exploded for over 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, leading the Jackrabbits to the FCS National Semifinal.
Surrounded by future NFL talent like Tucker Kraft, Mason McCormack, and Pierre Strong, he looked the part of a poised, athletic quarterback capable of creating plays with both his arm and legs. That season put him on the NFL radar-not as a franchise savior, but as a viable emergency option.
And that’s exactly what he’s been in Kansas City: insurance. Until now.
What Comes Next?
Let’s be clear-Chris Oladokun isn’t a long-term solution for the Chiefs. That title still belongs to Mahomes, and the franchise will be counting the days until his return. But with three weeks left in a season that’s already lost its footing, Oladokun has a rare opportunity to show the league what he can do with real snaps, real pressure, and real stakes.
He’s no longer a “developmental prospect.” At 28, this is likely his best shot at carving out a more permanent role-whether that’s as a backup in Kansas City or on someone else’s active roster in 2026.
A strong finish could mean a healthy contract bump and a few more years in the league. A stumble, and he’s back to the practice squad carousel.
Either way, Oladokun’s story is a reminder of how quickly things can change in the NFL. One minute, you’re the scout team quarterback running Mahomes impressions in practice. The next, you're standing under center with 70,000 fans watching and the season hanging in the balance.
And for Chris Oladokun, that moment has finally arrived.