Midwest Minshew: Cultures Collide in Kansas City

Gardner Minshew grew up in Mississippi and played college ball in the Pacific Northwest. His NFL career has taken him from Jacksonville to Philadelphia and from Indianapolis to Las Vegas. Now, a culture that already has adopted Taylor Swift – or vice versa, depending on sources – is adopting one of the league’s most colorful characters.

Minshew is the new backup quarterback in Kansas City, humble and eager to help the Chiefs win another Super Bowl. He’s also hoping Kansas City can help him with something.

“Honestly, I'd love to learn about some cattle farming if I have a chance,” Minshew told reporters last week after signing a one-year contract with the Chiefs. “I know there’s probably got a lot of that going on. That's something I'd like to do, down the road. I'm always a big fan of labor like that. So, if there's a chance to do something like that, would be a great opportunity to learn.”

Cattle provides the Earth with a lot more than world-renowned barbecue burnt ends. Cows also contribute a lot to the atmosphere. And if TV cameras catch Minshew and Patrick Mahomes laughing curiously on the sidelines … well, let’s just say Minshew is set to contribute a lot to the Chiefs’ atmosphere, too.

After all, Andy Reid might be among the countless observers who see in Minshew the personality of another quarterback from Mississippi, a quarterback who played for the Packers when Reid was a Green Bay assistant.

Reid surely saw how Doug Pederson provided an important stress outlet for Brett Favre, and perhaps that’s an important reason he wanted Minshew next to Mahomes. More importantly, Minshew sees that role in himself.

“I'd say being a starting quarterback in the NFL is a hard deal, and especially with all the expectation with everything that gets put on a guy like that. Sometimes, it's having a safe place in the quarterback room where you can come and let off some steam or just have a good laugh. That little stuff is very important for getting through the year.”

Minshew has never gotten through a year without starting at least two games, and that starting experience is more than a Mahomes insurance policy. The Chiefs can use Minshew to scout personnel and schemes of their opponents.

All four of his prior NFL teams are on Kansas City’s 2025 schedule, including his two most recent stops, the Raiders and Colts. And his offensive coordinator in Philadelphia from 2021-22, Shane Steichen, is now the head coach in Indianapolis.

Those two seasons also were the only years in which Patrick Mahomes started every game on the Chiefs’ schedule since he became the full-time starter in 2018. So, while Minshew’s NFL journey is as long and winding as the trips he takes in his mobile home, he’ll be ready to go if needed.