Chris Oladokun Steps In, Stays Steady as Chiefs Navigate QB Turmoil Ahead of Christmas Clash
Life as a backup quarterback in the NFL is a constant balancing act - staying ready without knowing when, or if, your number will be called. For Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun, that moment came suddenly and without warning in Tennessee, and he didn’t flinch.
With Gardner Minshew exiting early due to a knee injury, Oladokun was thrown into the fire on the road. No warm-up.
No easing in. Just live bullets against a physical Titans defense.
And for a guy who had never taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game before Sunday, Oladokun handled the moment with poise well beyond his experience.
He finished the game 11-of-16 for 111 yards - efficient, composed, and most importantly, mistake-free. But stats only tell part of the story.
The real question is how he felt in the middle of it all. Was the moment too big?
Did the game speed overwhelm him?
Not even close.
“That the moment wasn't too big for me, I felt really calm out there,” Oladokun said postgame. “Felt I was seeing things pretty good, game didn't seem too fast for me.
You just never know how you're going to react in those situations until you're in it. I'm never too high, never too low in those moments.”
That mindset - steady, centered, unshaken - is exactly what teams hope to see from a young quarterback making his debut. And for Oladokun, who’s spent the last four years waiting for a real shot, finally getting live reps in a regular-season game was more than just a personal milestone. It was a chance to prove he belongs.
“It was good to go out there and get some live regular-season snaps because that's just something that I haven't really had these past four years,” he added.
Now, the Chiefs find themselves in a unique situation. With Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew both banged up, Kansas City had to make a move. But instead of looking too far outside the building, they turned to a familiar face.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs promoted quarterback Shane Buechele from the practice squad to the active roster. Buechele, who’s been in the system and knows the offense, gives Kansas City a little more stability heading into a massive Week 16 showdown.
Because next up? The Denver Broncos. On Christmas Day.
It’s a tough draw for any quarterback, let alone one with limited NFL experience. But for now, the Chiefs are rolling with Oladokun and Buechele as they prepare for a divisional matchup with serious playoff implications.
Sunday proved that Oladokun can handle the unexpected. But Christmas Day?
That’s a different kind of pressure. The lights will be brighter, the stakes higher, and the Broncos - who’ve been surging - won’t make life easy.
Still, if Oladokun’s debut taught us anything, it’s this: he’s not rattled by the moment. And with the Chiefs’ quarterback room in flux, that calm under fire might be exactly what Kansas City needs.