For the second straight season, the Kansas City Chiefs will feature a new backup to superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Last year, Carson Wentz signed a one-year deal in free agency. Once the Chiefs lost in a rough Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles, it appeared Wentz’s time was done.
The team’s newest backup quarterback, newly signed Gardner Minshew from the Las Vegas Raiders, is already bringing a spark to the KC locker room.
Minshew talked with reporters about his excitement to join Mahomes by pointing out a parallel in their play styles from college.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Coach [Andy] Reid’s offenses,” Minshew said in his first media availability since joining the Chiefs. “I always felt that was something I could do well in. Pat came up in air raid, and I did as well.” Mahomes came to the NFL by way of Texas Tech where he played in one of college football’s most prolific passing systems in the country.
In 2016 – Mahomes’ last year with the Red Raiders – he led the NCAA in passing yards on the season with 5,052. Just two years later in 2018, Minshew was a senior at Washington State and had one of the best seasons in program history. He threw for 4,779 yards (2nd in NCAA) and 38 touchdowns (4th in NCAA). The common denominator? Legendary coach Mike Leach.
Leach was responsible for constructing Tech’s iconic air-raid offense during his time in Lubbock from 2000-2009. Although Mahomes didn’t play under Leach, the coach’s fingerprints were still all over the offensive system Mahomes excelled in. Shortly after his time at Texas Tech, Leach went to be the head coach at Washington State from 2012-2019. In his second to last year with the Cougars, Leach adopted transfer QB Minshew to his air-raid regime.
The rest is history. While not comparing Mahomes and Minshew’s trophy cases from the pros, the fact remains that they each have produced solid careers in the NFL. Those careers are thanks in large part to the pass-heavy schemes they experienced in their upbringings.
Related: Chiefs Predicted To Fortify Mahomes’ Protection In Latest Mock Mahomes – who had a down year in 2024 and did not throw for over 4,000 yards for the first time as a starter – still plays in an air-raid-like system under Andy Reid, notorious for being one of the game’s best offensive creators. They’ve thrived too … to the tune of three Super Bowl wins in the last six seasons. Now in 2025, Reid has both Mahomes and Minshew to work with in Kansas City. Of course, Mahomes will still be the everyday starter, but that isn’t to say that Minshew will not be ready to learn from one of the league’s all-time greats.
“I’m super fired up to be part of a winning organization and a winning culture. I feel like I have so much to learn about how Coach Reid and Pat operate. I look forward to doing whatever I can to contribute and help this team win,” Minshew said. Minshew signed a one-year contract with Kansas City this offseason.
Mahomes, who works to avenge that ugly Super Bowl loss, will now have a backup with a like-minded play style to teach. As always, expect a lot of passing touchdowns from the Chiefs in 2025.
