For some, the backup quarterback role is one of the most important positions in football, and for Gardner Minshew, that will be his role for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025.
Taking over from Carson Wentz as Patrick Mahomes' No. 2, Minshew brings six years of experience to the Chiefs' quarterback room as he looks to be a great sounding board for Mahomes.
While Minshew likely had several offers as he hit free agency, he detailed that Kansas City was a place he wanted to end up in for one reason.
“From the end of our season, when it seemed like I was going to get cut, I knew in my head that this is where I wanted to be,” Minshew said. “Just talking to Coach Reid and understanding what they're all about, I always knew that'd be a really good fit. To get on the phone with Coach Reid and get to hear what they're talking about and also to hear how he sees me fitting, and he values my personality, what I bring to the table like that just fires me up.
"To be somewhere that you feel appreciated and valued and obviously by somebody you respect so much and has had so much success do doing it.”
Minshew has bounced around the league in his six seasons, playing for four teams with the Chiefs his fifth, and it is clear the lure of playing under Andy Reid was a big dangling carrot for Minshew.
Now, he gets to serve as Mahomes' backup for 2025, and he stated he's willing to do anything he can to make Patrick's life easier, as he knows how pressurized being a starter in the NFL is.
While he might not ever see the field in 2025, Minshew is excited to get to work with the Chiefs and help them rebound from a poor end to 2024, with the love the franchise has shown him in the recruiting process being a big factor in Gardner choosing the AFC champs.
