The Kansas City Chiefs are 15-1 and have nothing to play for in their upcoming matchup against the Denver Broncos to close out the 2024 regular season. Kansas City has the luxury of resting their starter and looking forward to the playoffs while giving the backups some playing time.
One of those starters that won’t suit up in Week 18 is quarterback Patrick Mahomes. This means second-string QB Carson Wentz will make his first start since January 7, 2024, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
In his Wednesday presser, head coach Andy Reid spoke to reporters about his confidence in the savvy veteran.
“First of all, I have a lot of respect for him,” Reid began. “I think he’s a good football player. I think he has a good feel for this offense. Whether he’s developed it or had some of this stuff prior to coming here, he’s got a good feel. He deserves an opportunity to get in there and play, and at the same time, it gives [Patrick Mahomes] time to work on certain things that he’ll do during the practices.”
Wentz also spoke to reporters on Wednesday and couldn’t hold back his excitement over getting his first opportunity in nearly a year.
“I’m excited, honestly. I might not show it right now, but I think last year and then this year, again, I’ve learned not to take these opportunities for granted,” he explained.
“You play and start for however many years it was for me, and then you go and sit on a couch for half the season. Then, you kind of go back up last year, and I got one shot last year. For me, it’s just not taking these chances for granted and having fun and cutting it loose.”
Having a meaningless game to finish the season gives the players a chance to lie back and have fun playing football with no expectations of winning or losing. It also serves as a chance for young guys to put some tape on film for next season and for veterans like Wentz to prove they can still start in the NFL.
“[My expectations for Sunday are to] have fun, and obviously, I want to play well and have success out there and ultimately, more than anything, get a win,” Wentz explained.
“That’s the goal. Obviously, we know the circumstances, we know where we’re at and the reason I’m playing and not [Patrick Mahomes] and all [those] things, but I still go out there and expect to win,” he said.
Wentz is 47-45-1 in his career as a starting and is the first backup quarterback in the Andy Reid era to have a winning record. In 97 games (93 starts), Wentz has completed 62.7% of his passes for 22,312 yards and 167 touchdowns to 67 interceptions.
