Patrick Mahomes' Revamped Backup QB Room Marks a First

Since quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become the franchise player for the Kansas City Chiefs, only veterans have been behind Mahomes.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs haven't had to worry about who their starting quarterback was going to be since the arrival of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Not only has Mahomes been the Chiefs main option since the 2018 season, he has always given his team the chance to win by staying healthy and being on the field.

The Chiefs went out to sign free agent quarterback Gardner Minshew II to be the backup option to Mahomes. Not only does the signing improve the backup quarterback position, it also marks the first time since Mahomes took the reigns at QB that his backup option is younger than he is.

Minshew is 28 years old whereas Mahomes is 29. Over his career in Kansas City, Mahomes has had a slew of back up quarterbacks, all of which older than he is. The first being quarterback Chad Henne in 2018. The now retired quarterback didn't know he would be starting a trend in Kansas City that would span over quite some time.

The following season, Mahomes got a new backup quarterback in Matt Moore. 2019 was Moore's final year in the National Football League as he recorded 659 passing yards in six games played for the franchise. Moore was 35 years old when he took the football in his first game as a Chief. Mahomes was 23 years old.

Henne was the backup option until the 2023 season, where he was replaced by Blaine Gabbert. In his first and only season with the Chiefs franchise, he started two games for the club. Gabbert was also 34 years old in his tenure with the team. Given Mahomes has yet to hit 30 years old, claim still rings true.

Moving all the way to last season, where the backup option was Carson Wentz. Wentz played in three games for the franchise, and in his first game with the organization, he was 32 years old, whereas Mahomes just turned 29 years old this past season.

Not only does the statistic show the trust that the franchise has in Mahomes, it also shows how often he takes the field. The most games played by a backup quarterback since Mahomes has taken over was six in 2019 by Moore.

Minshew is a solid backup option that saw starting time with the Chiefs division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, before getting shut down due to a broken collarbone. Now that Minshew is a Chief, he not only starts a new journey for himself in his career but stops the older than Mahomes trend.

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