Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach walks down the hill to the fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Why Chiefs Should Bring Back One Underrated Free Agent

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Jan 18, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs are embarking on a critical offseason, their most important since naming Patrick Mahomes as the starting quarterback. In one year, this team went from a Super Bowl loss to missing the playoffs entirely.

Now, General Manager Brett Veach and the rest of the brass have to identify how to get this roster back to title contention.

They have their work cut out for them. The Chiefs proved this season that there are numerous needs along their depth chart, and they don't have many avenues to address them. Hitting on their picks in the 2026 NFL Draft will be imperative. KC won't have much cap space to work with, so any free agents they do sign this offseason have to make an impact, including the ones they retain.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Chiefs have to re-sign Gardner Minshew II

Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL on December 14, 2025. The typical recovery timeline for such an injury is between nine and 11 months for NFL quarterbacks. Nine months would have him ready around the time of the 2026 NFL season kickoff. If it's longer, though, the Kansas City Chiefs might find themselves in an insurmountable hole by the time he's cleared for return.

This team learned first-hand this season that they can't afford to stack up early losses and expect to flip a switch. They also found out that Chris Oladokun isn't a viable backup quarterback. Gardner Minshew II didn't get much chance to prove himself this year, as he went down with his own season-ending knee injury just a few snaps into his first start for the Chiefs. However, he's shown enough throughout his career to be valued as a high-end backup in this league. NFL.com's Nick Shook believes that KC has to re-sign him this offseason:

Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew watching Chris Oladokun lead the Chiefs on their first drive of the game. pic.twitter.com/9HL8pFihSZ
— Farzin Vousoughian (@Farzin21) December 26, 2025

"It seems unlikely Patrick Mahomes will be able to return from his December ACL injury in time to start Week 1 next September. Chris Oladokun failed to capitalize on his opportunity to claim a backup spot on the Chiefs' depth chart entering 2026. Minshew suffered a season-ending knee injury of his own, but it wasn't an ACL tear. He should be ready to play sooner than Mahomes, bringing veteran backup experience to a Kansas City team that suddenly needs it more than ever."

"If the Chiefs receive optimistic news on Mahomes' timetable for return, they might only temporarily need a steady hand to keep the offense afloat to start the season. Minshew proved his worth as an injury replacement in 2023, when he filled in for Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis and kept the Colts in postseason contention."

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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