It’s Chris Oladokun’s show now in Kansas City.
With Gardner Minshew officially ruled out in the third quarter against the Titans, the Chiefs are turning to their backup quarterback to finish out Week 16. Minshew, who appeared to be laboring after the opening drive, hung in for a few more possessions before being evaluated on the sideline and ultimately shut down for the day.
At the time of his exit, Minshew had completed just 3 of 8 passes for 15 yards. It was clear something wasn’t right, and now the Chiefs will lean on Oladokun to try and spark a comeback as they trail 16-6 in the third quarter.
Should Oladokun go down as well, Kansas City has tight end Noah Gray designated as the emergency third quarterback - a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option that no team ever wants to use, but one that’s become a necessary safety net in today’s NFL.
The Titans, meanwhile, have taken control with a pair of touchdown passes from rookie quarterback Cam Ward. His first came late in the second quarter - a 7-yard strike that gave Tennessee a 9-3 lead. The Chiefs cut into that with a 41-yard field goal from Harrison Butker just before halftime, but Ward responded again after the break, this time connecting with receiver Chimere Dike from a yard out to push the lead to double digits.
It’s been a rough afternoon for Kansas City’s offense, and now with Minshew sidelined, the pressure falls squarely on Oladokun to steady the ship. Whether he can rally the team remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: the Chiefs are in scramble mode, and the Titans are capitalizing.