The Kansas City Chiefs‘ quarterback room has received a lot of attention during the 2026 offseason.
That obviously begins with Patrick Mahomes, who appears to be well-ahead in his recovery from the torn ACL and LCL he sustained in Week 15 of the 2025 season.
The Chiefs also made waves when they acquired Justin Fields in a trade with the New York Jets back in March. If Mahomes isn’t ready by the beginning of the regular season, Fields will start in his place.
Kansas City then selected Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Many expected Nussmeier to be picked during the middle rounds, but a rough showing in 2025 that can be heavily attributed to medical reasons caused him to slide.
Garrett Nussmeier May Regret Being Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report recently named a handful of rookies who might wish the draft would have shaken out differently. As pertaining to Nussmeier, Sobleski points out that he was expected to go much higher than No. 249 overall.
“Some will look at Garrett Nussmeier’s setup and think he couldn’t have landed in a better situation. After all, he gets to learn from head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, Nussmeier may eventually concede the draft process didn’t go as expected when the 2025 campaign began. The LSU quarterback was generally viewed as a first-round prospect entering his final collegiate season. Even after a shaky performance—which was later revealed to be hampered by a significant injury—he was still expected to be a Day 2 pick, particularly after a strong Senior Bowl showing. Instead, the 24-year-old prospect nearly fell out of the draft altogether before the Chiefs snagged him in the seventh round, just eight picks before this year’s Mr. Irrelevant heard his name called.”
Nussmeier had a huge 2024 season as a junior, throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 TDs. Unfortunately, he battled through a cyst on his spine that derailed his senior year in 2025. Sobleski went on to say that Nussmeier now has a much tougher road to travel with the Chiefs.
“From a broader perspective, sliding from potential franchise quarterback to third-string rookie, who must battle to make the active roster, is a massively disappointing swing. Nussmeier still gets to realize his dream. At the same time, he wasn’t selected by an organization where the seventh-rounder will have a legitimate opportunity to compete for QB1 and possibly become the face of the franchise.”
Garrett Nussmeier Could Still Be a QB1 Some Day
GettyChiefs QB Garrett Nussmeier
Hope for Nussmeier to become a franchise QB isn’t lost. It will take longer to get there than it would had he went to a different team, but there are paths he can take as a member of the Chiefs. As Sobleski alluded to, learning from Mahomes and Reid is a great place to start.
Nussmeier will likely be the No. 3 QB for Kansas City in 2026 behind Mahomes and Fields. However, he can get on other team’s radars by performing well during preseason. With Fields only under contract with the Chiefs for one year, Nussmeier could be bumped up to No. 2 as quickly as 2027.
If Nussmeier can put together back-to-back strong preseason performances over the next two years, that might be enough for a team to trade for him, along with positive reviews from Mahomes and Reid. Nussmeier could also prove himself if he sees regular season action due to injuries to Mahomes and Fields. Regardless of how it all unfolds, the best thing Nussmeier can do is be a sponge, put in the work, and take advantage of opportunities when presented.
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