The Kansas City Chiefs are a week away from trimming its 90-man roster down to 53 by the NFL’s roster cut deadline scheduled for Tuesday, August 29, at 3 p.m. CDT. Before that, the Chiefs have one more preseason game to play before the coaching staff begins making their final decisions. That means players have one last chance to show the upstairs office why they should be on the team when Kansas City hosts the Detroit Lions to kick off the 2023 NFL regular season on September 7.
One player on the Chiefs’ roster that’s becoming a surprising story in the preseason is how third-string quarterback Shane Buechele is playing for the backup job behind quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The former SMU product has been the odd man out for the last three seasons he’s been with the Chiefs but has remained a recurring name on the practice squad and/or as the third guy on the depth chart.
In the past, Buechele had spurts that showed potential in Andy Reid’s offense. This year, the 25-year-old has displayed that he’s not only progressed but is earning the confidence of coaches and fans alike that he has what it takes to be a reliable QB2. Buechele attributes his development to studying the same offensive scheme for three consecutive seasons.
“This is the first time that I’ve ever been in the same offense for three years in a row,” Buechele told reporters shortly after Kansas City’s win over Arizona. “I feel confident in my ability and my preparation and knowing this offense in and out. Obviously, we can keep getting smarter, but just the confidence I have and the preparation in knowing this offense has really helped me be successful on the field. The coaches call great plays, and we have really good players on our side. Whenever we go out there and execute, we’re hard to stop,” he explained.
Buechele was flawless on Saturday against the Cardinals, completing all ten of his passes for 105 yards, and even had an opportunity to show his athleticism by sprinting for a 15-yard rushing touchdown mid-way in the second quarter. Through two preseason games, the former Mustang has completed 21 of 28 throws for 260 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick.
Kansas City technically has their designated backup in former Missouri star Blaine Gabbert, who’s also having an impressive preseason, connecting on 11 of 16 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Gabbert was dubbed the second-stringer to Mahomes when he signed with the Chiefs over the offseason in response to Chad Henne’s retirement. But that was before Buechele had the opportunity to show off his progression, and it’s clear he’s got his sights on moving up on the depth chart. Which is something head coach Andy Reid has picked up on.
“Those two are real close, they’re real close in there,” head coach Andy Reid said on Monday. “So they’re competing, we’ll just let it play out here, see how it goes. It’s good competition.”
The only obstacle in Buechele’s path toward moving up the depth chart is the lack of “real” game-time experience. Since entering the NFL, Buechele has not taken a snap in a regular season game. Despite that, he’s the only QB on the roster that knows Reid’s playbook inside and out, who isn’t Patrick Mahomes. There’s also the fact that Reid prefers a seasoned veteran quarterback that can immediately be thrown into a game (God forbid Mahomes goes down to injury) and keep the offense going.
Nonetheless, Buechele’s overall play is something that’s been fun to watch over the last two weeks, and he’ll have one more opportunity to have another big game next Saturday against the Cleveland Browns in front of an Arrowhead crowd. If that’s the case, his chances of winning this backup QB controversy over Gabbert for the QB2 job could increase.
