Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs looked to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season, finishing 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era. On Monday, the Chiefs looked to open the 2026 NFL season with a Week 1 home victory, hosting Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football.”
Mahomes did everything he could to keep Kansas City in the playoff hunt last year, completing 315-of-502 passes for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, adding 422 yards and another five scores on the ground. But in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the former Texas Tech quarterback suffered a torn ACL, which ended his season and put the start to 2026 in jeopardy.
However, last week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid revealed that Mahomes will be available to start against Denver despite missing the entire preseason. And Kansas City feels Mahomes is healthy enough that he needs only one backup.
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In 2025, Mahomes’ top backup quarterbacks were Gardner Minshew and Chris Oladokun, with the latter spending most of the time on the practice squad. But in 2026, the Chiefs made a major change at that position, signing former New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million deal, while drafting LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 249 pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nussmeier impressed during training camp and the preseason, enough to earn a spot on the roster as the team’s third-string quarterback. Fields, with his $20 million-per-year contract, earned the backup job behind Mahomes. But just ahead of the game against Denver, the Chiefs elected to keep only two quarterbacks active, listing Nussmeier as inactive.
Joining Nussmeier on Kansas City’s inactive list includes tight end Jared Wiley, defensive back Chamarri Conner, defensive end Jack Pyburn, tackles Diego Pounds and Josh Simmons, and defensive tackle Bryson Edwards.
“Our inactives for tonight’s MNF matchup against the Denver Broncos ⬇️,” the Kansas City Chiefs wrote on X.
Following the Week 1 game against the Broncos, the Chiefs will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2’s edition of “Sunday Night Football.”
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