Andy Reid declares Blaine Gabbert as Chiefs' Week 18 starter
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is making the obvious decision for Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the Chiefs locked in as the No. 3 seed in the AFC conference, Reid is opting to rest several starters. That includes star QB Patrick Mahomes, who will get a week off to rest and […]
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid is making the obvious decision for Week 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
With the Chiefs locked in as the No. 3 seed in the AFC conference, Reid is opting to rest several starters. That includes star QB Patrick Mahomes, who will get a week off to rest and recover ahead of the playoffs.
Mahomes is to be replaced by backup QB Blaine Gabbert.
"Pat (Mahomes) won't play," Reid said. "So, Blaine (Gabbert) will take over at that spot. Then, we'll rotate the other guys in as we go."
Gabbert joined Kansas City in the 2023 NFL offseason, coming highly recommended by former Chiefs backup QB Chad Henne.
"It's great and it's a lot of fun," Gabbert said of starting. "It's a great opportunity. I told the young guys out at the walkthrough, 'Just go have fun.' A lot of guys are going to make a start for the first time, right? I've been fortunate to start quite a few games in the NFL, but these opportunities don't come around very often. Just make the most of them, have fun, cut it loose, and let's go play ball."
The former No. 10 overall draft pick in 2011 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gabbert has 48 regular season starts and 67 game appearances during his NFL career. His last game started came in Week 17 of the 2018 NFL season with the Tennessee Titans, where he completed 18 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on the day.
Mahomes will get some work during the practice week, but he will not dress for the Week 18 game according to Chiefs HC Andy Reid. Practice squad QB Chris Oladokun will be activated for the game to serve as Gabbert's backup.
"He works hard," Reid said of Oladokun. "Every day he's working on his game. In training camp, the time he got to play I think was valuable for him. Then, the scout team stuff. If a play is similar to what we run, we try to call it that way and run it that way, so the defense gets a real fast look at something the other side knows."
Reid wouldn't say whether Oladokun would get any playing time in Week 18, but it's safe to assume they might want to see if he has what it takes to be the backup QB of the future in Kansas City.
As for the handling of other players, it remains to be seen just how much work they'll all get on Sunday.
2024 NFL draft underclassmen tracker: Which college football stars intend to declare?
Keep track of all the underclassmen who have thrown their name in the hat for the 2024 NFL draft.
