Kansas City Chiefs sign old friend to help fill the QB void after Gardner Minshew lands on season-ending injured reserve
The Kansas City Chiefs brought back a familiar face to reinforce their QB depth after Gardner Minshew went to season-ending IR.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback carousel continued ahead of Christmas after the team lost starting QB Patrick Mahomes and backup QB Gardner Minshew to season-ending knee injuries in back-to-back weeks.
Minshew suffered his injury early in the Week 16 game against the Tennessee Titans. He tried to return to the game but was ultimately ruled out with what the team feared was an ACL injury. On Monday, the team placed Minshew on season-ending injured reserve and brought back an old friend at the quarterback position for the final two games of the 2025 NFL season.
Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew avoids the worst-case scenario with his knee injury
Minshew’s injury was initially feared to be a torn ligament, but an MRI and further testing revealed a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture. That’s the same injury the team had feared Travis Kelce suffered in September of 2023.
“Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew received some good news, as his ACL was spared, sources say following the MRI. His knee is still injured and should miss game time,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said on X. “More specifically, this would be called a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture, one that ends his season and puts Gardner Minshew on IR, source says. Basically, a very bad bone bruise. But no surgery needed.”
The non-displaced nature of the injury means Minshew will avoid surgery, but he’ll need time for the bone to heal. This wouldn’t necessarily take him out of the running to return to the Chiefs this offseason and act as insurance if Mahomes weren’t ready for Week 1.
As for the remaining two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Chiefs will have a familiar face back in the fold to back up Chris Oladokun.
The Chiefs signed Shane Buechele from the Bills’ practice squad
In a corresponding move with placing Minshew on injured reserve, the Chiefs have brought back QB Shane Buechele off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, signing him to the 53-man roster. Buechele originally signed with Kansas City out of SMU following the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent just two seasons with the Chiefs on the practice squad before landing with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad in the 2023 NFL season. His best performance in Kansas City came in 2022 during the preseason, when he completed 31 of 51 passes for 335 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception across three games.
Why bring back Buechele now? Beyond the clear need for warm bodies at the quarterback position, Buechele and Oladokun were on the Chiefs’ practice squad together for the 2022-2023 NFL season. They’re familiar with each other, as is offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. With the Chiefs unable to advance to the playoffs, Buechele could still also return to Buffalo’s practice squad come the postseason.
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