The Kansas City Chiefs made more than one change involving Chris Oladokun as they finalized their quarterback situation ahead of the 2026 regular season.
Kansas City waived Oladokun with an injury designation Sunday, opening a spot in a quarterback room that includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields and rookie Garrett Nussmeier.
The Chiefs then made another change involving the quarterback: They reassigned his jersey number.
Nussmeier, who wore No. 14 throughout training camp and the preseason, has now been given Oladokun’s No. 19.
Chiefs Give Garrett Nussmeier Oladokun’s No. 19 Jersey
Kansas City did not wait long to redistribute Oladokun’s number following Sunday’s roster move.
The Chiefs officially assigned No. 19 to Nussmeier just one day later.
Against the Los Angeles Rams, he completed 13 of 19 passes for 98 yards. He later received his first preseason start against the Seattle Seahawks after Oladokun entered the blue medical tent for concussion protocol.
Nussmeier completed 22 of 34 passes for 198 yards in that game. Across the preseason, he finished 44 of 70 passing for 370 yards.
Head coach Andy Reid praised what he saw from the rookie, particularly when Nussmeier faced pressure and had to process adjustments during a game.
“I thought he handled things right,” Reid said after the game. “He had a chance to see a few blitzes in there, which I thought he handled well and showed composure with those. And then, something as simple as making the halftime adjustments, he was able to go through that and work through what really takes place there and reach into that next half.”
Nussmeier had previously worn No. 18 at LSU, where the number carries special significance. He became the first Tigers quarterback to wear No. 18 since Matt Mauck, who helped lead LSU to the 2003 national championship.
Nussmeier spent five seasons at LSU and finished his college career with 7,699 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes.
Chris Oladokun Reverts to Chiefs Injured Reserve After Going Unclaimed
While Kansas City reassigned Oladokun’s jersey number, the quarterback did not become a free agent following Sunday’s move.
The Chiefs waived Oladokun with an injury designation. He then went unclaimed on waivers and reverted to Kansas City’s injured reserve list Monday.
That distinction is important because Oladokun remains tied to the Chiefs despite being removed from the active roster and losing his No. 19 jersey to Nussmeier.
According to CBS Sports, the injury has not been disclosed.
Oladokun will spend the 2026 regular season on injured reserve unless Kansas City later waives him with an injury settlement.
Nussmeier Gets a New Number and a Chance to Learn Behind Patrick Mahomes
Nussmeier’s new No. 19 comes as the rookie prepares for his first regular season in a quarterback room featuring two experienced NFL starters.
He has already discussed the opportunity to learn from Mahomes during his first training camp with Kansas City.
“He’s like a library of knowledge,” Nussmeier said. “In a sense, he’s played in the biggest of moments, the biggest of the biggest. When he talks about those moments, whatever I’m doing, I’m listening, just seeing what he says about the situations, what the atmosphere is like, just anything I can.”
The rookie’s preseason performance helped him secure his place on the roster after arriving as a seventh-round pick.
Kansas City Chiefs Make Telling Change After Chris Oladokun Is Removed From Active Roster