Gardner Minshew’s arrival in Kansas City felt almost cinematic: the Chiefs had quietly moved past Carson Wentz and tossed him into free agency, and then brought in this charismatic QB who’s already admitted he’s watched Patrick Mahomes‘ tape like homework. The Chiefs Kingdom remembers Wentz’s backup run, but now Minshew is bringing veteran swagger in KC—and of course, a real hunger to learn under a two-time MVP.

It’s the offseason pivot nobody saw coming… well, except for Minshew. “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 in his news conference after signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs… “I always knew that [Kansas City would] be a really good fit.” Indeed.

And get this, ever since the former Raiders quarterback arrived in KC, he’s been in awe of Mahomes, literally. Especially, with all the things that the Chiefs’ QB does at a high level. “Seeing how he prepares . . . Not only in the building, how does he get his body right? How does he train. He does everything at the elite… the highest of levels,” Minshew recently said.

Let’s face it—Minshew’s appreciation for Mahomes just makes sense. During his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, the 29-year-old quarterback has been vocal about being a fan of Mahomes and his game, or should we say, how he tried to do what Mahomes does best. “I mean, I’m a big fan of Patrick Mahomes and his game,” he had said ahead of the Super Bowl LVII back in 2023.

“I’ve seen plenty of Patrick Mahomes tape. Our defensive staff did a great job of getting us information early in the week to be able to emulate, as best we could, the things that he does well.” And now that he’s all set to serve as a backup QB for Mahomes, it’s safe to say that it’s going to be much easier for Minshew to replicate Mahomes. After all, he’s ready to help the Chiefs reclaim their throne in the 2025 season.

Gardner Minshew is ready to help Patrick Mahomes and Co. in any way

Gardner Minshew is entering the 2025 season with the Chiefs after an underwhelming season with the Raiders last year. But let’s be real—it’ll be wrong if we blame Minshew entirely for a poor season in Vegas. The QB totaled 2,013 passing yards in 203 completions, with a passer rating of 81.0. Yeah, these are the lowest numbers of his career for the team that faced a down season. So yeah, it would be wrong to blame Minshew entirely.

But it’s all in the past, and the 29-year-old quarterback is getting ready to kick off his time with the Chiefs. And he just made it clear for Andy Reid and Co. that he’ll try to help the team in any way possible. “This year, trying to help in any way that I can. If you have a good season and are a part of something special, there are things that stick with you,” Minshew said.

Minshew kicked things off in Jacksonville, spending a couple of seasons with the Jaguars before heading to Philly. The veteran QB backed up Jalen Hurts for two years, then found himself starting again. But this time in Indy. And let’s be honest, the luck wasn’t really on his side. He went 7–6 with the Colts in 2023, then followed that up with a rough 2–7 stretch in Vegas the next year. Not exactly ideal.

Now that he’s getting ready to serve as a backup again, it’ll surely release some pressure from him. The folks out there named him one of the top ten backup quarterbacks to watch out for. “Known as much for his quirky personality as his on-field results, Minshew flamed out quickly with the rival Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s back in cozier confines with the reigning AFC champions,” CBS’ Cody Benjamin said, ranking him fourth in his top 10 backup QBs for the 2025 season.

Having said that, Gardner Minshew is now all set to kick off the next chapter of his NFL career in KC, serving as the backup QB for Patrick Mahomes.