The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round, and he has a chance to climb the depth chart.
Former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was once thought to be a first-round prospect, but instead his college career went sideways in a big way. Nussmeier was finally selected in the seventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs, and GM Brett Veach told Nussmeier he’s getting an exceptional opportunity, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
“I know it’s been a long day, but just know that you’re going to head to the best quarterback room in the NFL here,” Veach told Nussmeier in a video released by the Chiefs. “We’re going to turn this pick in now and make you the newest member of the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Veach is fudging by a lot, and he almost certainly knows it. The opportunity to learn from quarterback Patrick Mahomes definitely lends credibility to his statement, but the rest of the room features Justin Fields, Chris Oladokun and Jake Heaner, which isn’t exactly a murderer’s row of backup options.
But that’s what Veach is supposed to say, and the opportunity to learn under coach Andy Reid is certainly well worth the price of admission for a seventh-round pick. Nussmeier’s new offensive coordinator will be Eric Bieniemy, who got an unfortunate look at the LSU quarterback when he was UCLA’s offensive coordinator back in 2024 and Nussmeier threw for 352 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
“Last time I saw you, I was on the opposite sideline at UCLA,” Bieniemy told Nussmeier. “You had a pretty good game against us. I’m very proud of you and looking forward to having this opportunity to work with you.”
Nussmeier knows he won’t be competing for a starting job, Smith added, but he does have an opportunity to climb the depth chart in Kansas City. Fields has failed badly in three prior NFL stops, and Oladokun struggled with turnovers late last year. Jake Haener might not even make it to training camp, and if he does he’ll be a long shot to make the roster.
The LSU product is getting a great opportunity to learn, so it will be interesting to see what he makes of it. What we don’t know at this point is what approach Andy Reid will take in training camp given that Fields is a talented runner who's struggled mightily as a pocket passer and Nussmeier has the throwing chops to excel in that role. Mahomes’ injury situation is also in play, so there will be a lot to unpack when we see these QBs on the field.