Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could return at some point next season after his recent ACL tear, but the team will at least want a strong backup behind him — especially one with ample starting experience.
Mahomes tore his ACL in the Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and his recovery could take around nine months or a bit more. That makes a Week 1 return questionable for 2026, and the Chiefs will need to be prepared to start a quarterback not named Mahomes in the early weeks of next season.
Among potential free agent quarterbacks in 2026, the Chiefs could go after Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. The former No. 2 pick from Oregon in 2015 has enjoyed success as both a starter and backup in the league during his journeyman career.
Mariota has 17,789 yards passing for 107 touchdowns in his career. This season, Mariota has 1,696 yards passing and 10 touchdowns in seven starts for a struggling Commanders team.
He could give the Chiefs a solid dual-threat starter next season to avoid rushing Mahomes back on the field. Mariota has 2,454 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns in his career, and he has 289 yards and a touchdown on 49 carries this season.
The catch will be making room for Mariota under the Chiefs’ salary cap. Kansas City is projected for $39.68 million over the salary cap, and Mariota’s annual asking price is $8.66 million per year, based on Spotrac.
Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn Pleased With Marcus Mariota
A good sign for the Chiefs going into 2026 is that Mariota has filled in well for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels — all the more reason for the Chiefs to find a way to get Mariota on the roster.
“I’ve known the leadership, but yesterday, like when it’s time to like, you know, will the team to go do that, that’s really what I saw,” Quinn told reporters on Dec. 1.
That came after the Commanders nearly beat the Denver Broncos this season. Mariota has a 2-5 record as a starter, but the Commanders have been a shell of the 2024 NFC runner-up from a year ago.
“I thought, you know, the play passes and you know, using his arm, using his legs to go, I thought that came through, but in some of the winning time moments, just throwing absolute dimes, I thought it was like a warrior performance at quarterback and sometimes those are hits and you stay in, you make them,” Quinn said. “But I had known who the leader was but that solidified, you know, just an absolute man, like put it on me kind of performance to go find a way.”
Will Gardner Minshew Be Enough?
While the Chiefs could find a proven starter in Mariota, Kansas City has a viable option in backup quarterback Gardner Minshew.
The Chiefs had an injury scare with Minshew in Week 16 when he injured his knee, but avoided an ACL tear. Minshew has a 17-30 record as a starter and 11,987 yards passing and 68 touchdowns.
He most recently had a winning season as a starter with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 when he went 7-6. Minshew has played sparingly this season with 3-5 passing for 22 yards in three games.
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