With Mahomes and Minshew sidelined, the Chiefs turn to practice squad QB Shane Buechele for critical snaps.
The quarterback situation for the Kansas City Chiefs is dire after both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew have injured their knees and will not return this season. In response, the Chiefs signed quarterback Shane Buechele from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad on Monday.
Buechele was essentially the third string quarterback in Buffalo behind Josh Allen and Mitchel Trubisky, not appearing in a game this season. Buechele went undrafted in the 2021 draft out of Southern Methodist University, but has previously spent time with the Chiefs during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Now, he’ll make his return to Kansas City, this time, much more likely to get some snaps under his belt.
In his two seasons at SMU after transferring from the University of Texas, Buechele threw for over 7,000 yards and 57 touchdowns. He led the American Athletic Conference in completions, touchdowns, and yards per game in his 2019 season. It was enough to find himself on the Chiefs roster despite not hearing his name called in the draft.
The Chiefs were forced to try their hands with third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but he failed to get the offense going in any meaningful way, leading to a 9-26 loss to the now 3-win Titans. Oladokun finished with 111 passing yards on 16 attempts, being sacked four times for a negative 44 yards in the process.
It’s unconfirmed who will be starting for Kansas City in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos, but Oladokun has the upper hand with the short week of preparation ahead. Either way, the Chiefs would need a miracle to come out with a win.
The Broncos and their 12-3 record are the clear favorites on Christmas, especially with Denver coming off the back of its first loss since Week 3. With that extra fire and the way the 2025 season has gone for Kansas City, Thursday night may be a tough watch for Chiefs fans. Regardless, kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. EST at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas night.