Gardner Minshew offers highest upside of Patrick Mahomes' backup quarterbacks

The Kansas City Chiefs have brought in a new backup quarterback. Gardner Minshew will be the one to sit behind Patrick Mahomes for the 2025 season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Minshew has signed a one-year deal with Kansas City.

Minshew saw his 2024 season cut short due to injury. The passer suffered a fractured collarbone late in the regular season. Minshew opened the campaign as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. But after five games, the Raiders gave Aidan O'Connell a shot. His own injury allowed Minshew to retake the reins for another five-game stretch.

Now after a year in Sin City, Gardner Minshew goes to the Raiders' greatest AFC West rival. What stands out differently with Minshew than other recent Chiefs' backup quarterbacks?

Minshew's aggressive nature

Gardner Minshew is certainly not afraid to take chances and pull the trigger in dire situations. That has stood out since his days at Washington State in the college level. That continued during his NFL stops with Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis before the Las Vegas stint. His 2023 run with the Colts nearly elevated an average team into the AFC playoffs.

While Chiefs fans hope Gardner Minshew will not have to take any meaningful snaps in 2025, there is something that stands out more with him than other recent K.C. backup quarterbacks. His upside clears that of any passer that has sat behind Mahomes. Some of that is due to his play style. But also, Minshew is one of the better backup options around the league, when considering some team's starters are well below average.

Minshew is not afraid to extend plays and move around the pocket. His arm strength is still more adequate than other starting options around the league. And in the end, Minshew has displayed his toughness plenty of times.

Experience can boost Chiefs throughout entire roster

Gardner Minshew is not necessarily going to tell Patrick Mahomes how to do his job. Yet, he has plenty of experience at the NFL level. He can pass along certain knowledge and tricks to players throughout the Chiefs roster. That is an item that has still been present with other recent Kansas City backup quarterbacks. Minshew could possibly impact the locker room in a different manner, however.

Mic'd up moments, along with his wily nature, have been captured plenty of times throughout his professional career. The Chiefs locker room is already full of a wide cast of characters. But by adding someone like Minshew, Kansas City is adding a unique and colorful player to join the mix. It helps that this comes with some level of experience, if Minshew ever needed to step in.