Could Marcus Mariota be the Chiefs’ next great backup QB?
The Kansas City Chiefs’ starting quarterback spot is perhaps the safest bet at any position across the NFL heading into the 2023 season. Reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes will maintain his role as the league’s top passer when the season kicks off in September, and the team will continue to live and die by his contributions on offense.
But one key fact from the 2022 season looms large over the team, especially as they look to defend their newly won Super Bowl title. Mahomes has missed time due to injury in two of his five seasons as Kansas City’s starting quarterback, and his odds of remaining in perfect health decline with every passing year.
Journeyman backup Chad Henne served the Chiefs well during his four years in Kansas City, stepping in at key moments seemingly every season to help push the team over the edge, even in the playoffs.
Henne secured a playoff win for the Chiefs back in 2021 against the Cleveland Browns in a gutsy appearance that would ultimately help send Kansas City to the Super Bowl. He also made his presence felt in Kansas City’s seven-point win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in this year’s divisional round, leading a 98-yard touchdown drive that proved to be a pivotal moment in the game.
To discount the need for a competent backup in the Mahomes era of Chiefs football is to deny the team’s history, despite the obvious security they have in their starter. Henne decided to retire after Kansas City’s Super Bowl win in February, leaving a void that 2022 third-stringer Shane Buechele seems poised to fill in 2023.
If the worst came to pass, though, and Mahomes were to be sidelined with injury for an extended period, Buechele’s inexperience could doom the Chiefs’ season. Even if the MVP starter were slated to return late in the season, any extended losing could cause problems for a team with perennial Super Bowl aspirations. With this in mind, it may make sense for Kansas City to explore the option of adding a seasoned veteran to at least compete with the 25-year-old Buechele for the backup role, even if only to make the third-year signal caller prove that he has what it takes to lead the team in a pinch.
Enter Marcus Mariota, the Heisman-winning former Tennessee Titan and Atlanta Falcon who dealt the Chiefs one of the most improbable playoff losses in franchise history in a game where he completed a touchdown pass to himself back in 2018. Freshly jettisoned from Atlanta’s roster after starting for the Falcons all season, Mariota may fit the bill for what Kansas City is looking for in a backup quarterback, even if only temporarily while the team feels out Buechele’s viability in the second-string role.
Mariota’s athletic ability is unquestionable, and the experience he might bring to the Chiefs’ quarterback room could prove to be an invaluable asset to Kansas City in a worst-case scenario. He is a proven leader who has fought through some less-than-ideal situations over the last few seasons, even if his play hasn’t necessarily warranted a starting spot in the NFL.
None of this is to say Buechele is incapable of filling in for Mahomes if needed, but given the Chiefs’ reliance on their backup in key situations in recent years, perhaps a more tested veteran could handle the role better. Mariota has shown shades of Alex Smith since his time at the University of Oregon years ago, and his mobility could be a plus for Andy Reid in game planning for a backup against the Chiefs’ fierce competition in the AFC.
The price would have to be right for general manager Brett Veach to entertain the idea, but if there is any doubt about Buechele’s capability to cut it as Kansas City’s next man up, a contract agreement with Mariota could save the Chiefs plenty of headaches should their quarterback situation take a turn for the worse.
