ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KCTV) - For the first time in his career as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes will not suit up for the team’s preseason opener.
Head coach Andy Reid confirmed the plan he said he was leaning toward last week following the Chiefs’ final practice before their first preseason game. The more conservative preseason plan for the two-time NFL MVP comes after he tore his ACL in December.
“Pat won’t start,” Reid said Thursday. “Or play.”
Backup quarterback Justin Fields, who the Chiefs traded a sixth-round pick for this offseason, will get the start on Saturday at 3 p.m. against the Los Angeles Rams.
“It’ll be Justin, and then Nussmeier, and then Chris will take it from there,” Reid said. “We’ll see how the reps go as we work through that.”
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Last week, Reid said Mahomes may not play at all in the preseason this season.
“I don’t know if I’ll play (Mahomes) in the second or third game,” Reid said last week. “We got new people behind him that need some work. The more reps they get, the better.”
Rookie seventh-round pick Garrett Nussmeier will be the second quarterback to get snaps on Saturday, Reid said. Chris Oladokun, who played in the final two regular season games in 2025, will be the third quarterback to play on Saturday.
| Year | Preseason participation |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Played in first three preseason games, sat fourth |
| 2019 | Played in first three preseason games, sat fourth |
| 2020 | No preseason games (COVID) |
| 2021 | Played all three preseason games |
| 2022 | Played first two preseason games, sat third |
| 2023 | Played first two preseason games, sat third |
| 2024 | Played first two preseason games, sat third |
| 2025 | Played first and third preseason game, sat second (in Seattle, rainy night on turf) |
This season will be Mahomes’ ninth year as the Chiefs starting quarterback. Aside from 2020 -- when there were no preseason games because of COVID -- Mahomes has played in the majority of the Chiefs’ preseason games.
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