Andy Reid leaves Patrick Mahomes preseason plan wide open again

So far, Patrick Mahomes has been watching the action from a distance in the Kansas City Chiefs preseason. Through two games, Mahomes has two total snaps to his name in contests against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. With only one game remaining before the regular season begins, the time for tuning things up in live competition is growing scarce.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes will at least be given a few more snaps on Friday, during the team's third and final preseason game against the visiting Chicago Bears. Yet even while providing a bit of clarity, Reid still failed to provide any real parameters of how much playing time to expect.

“I’m just gonna play it by ear," said Reid when asked by reporters about potential playing time for the starters. "They’re gonna start. They’ll start it off and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

Andy Reid provided some clarity and uncertainty both when it comes to Mahomes' playing time on Friday.

Reid has never given Mahomes that much playing time in preseasons past with the Chiefs, so it's not as if something is wrong at this juncture. That said, Mahomes had 6 snaps in the first preseason game in 2024 and 18 in the second while sitting out the third and final game in its entirety. T

This year, Reid has decided to give Mahomes some time under center in the final game before the team's international contest against the Los Angeles Chargers that opens the season. Perhaps it's a move to satisfy home fans who are going to be at Arrowhead after the Chiefs played their first two preseason games on the road.

Time with the offense will hold some importance for Mahomes given the left side of the line is brand new in front of him. Josh Simmons is the team's left tackle, and Kingsley Suamataia is looking like the best bet at left guard. There are also new faces at the skill positions, from Brashard Smith in the backfield to Robert Tonyan at tight end, to Jalen Royals and Tyquan Thornton at wide receiver.

At the very least, an appearance of Mahomes of some kind has been confirmed for Chiefs Kingdom. Just how many snaps he'll take is anyone's guess, but fans can rest assured he'll at least receive more than two this entire preseason.