Chiefs’ Quarterback Carousel Reaches New Heights in Week 16 Loss to Titans
It’s been a wild ride under center for the Kansas City Chiefs this season, but Sunday’s Week 16 matchup against the Tennessee Titans took things to another level. Coming into the game, expectations were already tempered-after all, the Chiefs were rolling with Gardner Minshew at quarterback following Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending knee injury just a week ago. But even those lowered expectations might’ve been too high after a sluggish opening quarter and yet another quarterback injury.
Let’s start with the slow start. Kansas City managed just 29 yards of total offense in the first quarter.
That’s not a typo-29 yards. It was the kind of offensive stagnation that leaves you wondering if the playbook was written in invisible ink.
And to make matters worse, Minshew came up limping after taking a hit at the end of a scramble. He toughed it out for a bit, but didn’t make it to halftime, exiting with a knee injury of his own.
That brought Chris Oladokun into the game, the next man up in a quarterback room that’s been hit hard by injuries. Oladokun, who had been promoted to the active roster only recently, suddenly found himself running the offense in a critical late-season game. Not exactly the script the Chiefs had in mind when the season began with Mahomes at the helm.
And then came the question: if Oladokun were to go down, who’s next?
Social media lit up with speculation. Could it be Travis Kelce?
The All-Pro tight end has long been known for his versatility, and he did play quarterback before switching positions at the University of Cincinnati. He’s also been mentioned in the past as an emergency QB option for Kansas City.
But according to CBS Sports sideline reporter Melanie Collins, the Chiefs had a different plan in place.
That emergency quarterback designation? It belonged to tight end Noah Gray.
Gray, who played quarterback at Leominster Senior High School in Massachusetts, was identified by the team as their break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option. And while the Chiefs undoubtedly hoped it wouldn’t come to that, it’s a testament to just how deep into the depth chart they’ve had to dig this season.
This is where Kansas City’s adaptability-and creativity-gets tested. It’s not just about who’s taking snaps, but how the coaching staff can scheme around the personnel they have left. With Mahomes out, Minshew sidelined, and Oladokun thrust into the spotlight, the Chiefs are leaning on every ounce of depth and ingenuity to keep their playoff hopes alive.
As for Gray, he didn’t take any snaps on Sunday, but the mere fact that he was one injury away from doing so tells you everything you need to know about how turbulent this season has been for Kansas City’s quarterback room.
It’s not the kind of drama anyone in the Chiefs’ building wanted in Week 16-but it’s the reality they’re living in. And with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, the margin for error is razor thin.