Andy Reid Reveals Plan for Starters in 2023 Preseason Opener

With the Chiefs and Saints set to play on Sunday, Reid shared a possible playing timeline for KC's first-string standouts.

The Kansas City Chiefs kick off their 2023 preseason slate on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, and there's still a bit to sort out in advance of the regular season.

Not only does the preseason allow newcomers to get acclimated to playing with their teammates, but it also leaves plenty of opportunities on the table for end-of-roster or practice squad candidates to put some quality reps on tape. Not every member of the Chiefs' roster will be able to stick around in some capacity this year. However, many undrafted rookies and veterans alike can parlay a good preseason into a contract either in Kansas City or with another squad. 

As always, the hottest question for Week 1 of every Chiefs preseason is exactly how long high-profile starters such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and others will get to play. Head coach Andy Reid spoke following Friday's training camp practice and said Mahomes and his fellow starters will get the first quarter to work, but many aren't buying into his proposed plan. 

For reference, here's what Reid said about his starters prior to last year's first preseason game against the Chicago Bears:

"As far as the game goes, we’ll go quarters for the quarterbacks, we have four quarterbacks each one will get a quarter. And then their group will kind of follow along with that. Try to get the young guys a majority of the reps as we go make sure they get enough work."

And here's a look at how Kansas City actually divvied up those snaps throughout their initial 2022 preseason outing:

For those interested, here's the #Chiefs snap count breakdown from Week 1 of last preseason.

We'll hear from Andy Reid later this morning and he'll likely give an update on how much starters will play, etc. this is just something to keep in mind. pic.twitter.com/ZD2wr757FB

— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) August 11, 2023

In last August's preseason opener, Mahomes worked the Chiefs' first drive on offense and then sat on the sideline for the remainder of the game. Despite the team getting the football back with 4:12 left in the first quarter, it was backup Chad Henne who got a head start on his portion of the game. Third-stringer Shane Buechele took over early in the second quarter and played into the second half, then he was replaced by Dustin Crum with 6:29 left in the third frame. 

Reid may be exercising some gamesmanship here, as it's unlikely that Mahomes or Kelce — or potentially some others, for that matter — will get the entirety of the first quarter to work. Backups Blaine Gabbert and the aforementioned Buechele, as well as Chris Oladokun, should play the majority of the game at quarterback. Mahomes and the "ones" will dip their toes in the water and probably proceed to call it a day.

In other news, the Chiefs have a multitude of players who will miss Sunday's game in New Orleans. Running back Isiah Pacheco, tight end Jody Fortson, wide receiver Kadarius Toney, defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed won't play, per Reid. It doesn't take too far a leap of faith to conclude that star defensive tackle Chris Jones is also unlikely as he continues to hold out from training camp. Expect to get a long look at Kansas City's depth this weekend. 

Read More: Chiefs 2023 53-Man Roster Projection