Tag: Mahomes

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) makes a pass during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs bring back QB Bailey Zappe

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City quarterback room grew by one on Friday as the Chiefs re-signed Bailey Zappe to a one-year deal, multiple outlets reported.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

On Thursday, the Chiefs signed journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew II, recently released by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, Zappe and Minshew will battle for the No. 2 job in Kansas City behind Patrick Mahomes, a role filled by Carson Wentz last season.

Wentz remains a free agent.

Zappe, 25, spent the first part of the 2024 season on the Kansas City practice squad before he was claimed by the Browns on Oct. 22. He started one game with Cleveland — a 35-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 4. He was 16-of-31 passing for 170 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

He previously played for the New England Patriots (2022-23), appearing in 14 games (eight starts). He had a 4-4 record and completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 2,053 yards with 11 TD and 12 picks for the Pats.

–Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) looks at plays with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, center, and head coach Andy Reid against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs clear $49.4M with Mahomes, Jones restructures

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In a race to become compliant with the 2025 salary cap before 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the Chiefs restructured their largest contracts and cleared more than $49 million, according to multiple reports.

The Chiefs had largely already spent that money but deals are not official until the start of the league year on Wednesday afternoon.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes revised his deal for the fourth time since 2021. His contract value of $450 million is tops in the NFL and the deal runs through the 2031 season. The 29-year-old shifted approximately $23 million of his salary, which would fit almost precisely with the franchise tag value for retaining guard Trey Smith.

Mahomes has base salaries in 2026 ($45.4 million) and 2027 ($45.8 million) that are 4.5 times higher than his $9.8 million salary last season.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones signed a five-year, $158.8 million contract in 2024 and has a restructure bonus of $27.5 million on the books for 2025.

In addition to using the franchise tag to retain top free agent Smith, the Chiefs agreed to deals with free agent offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (49ers), cornerback Kristian Fulton (Chargers) and running back Elijah Mitchell (49ers) and re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Hollywood Brown.

–Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) runs with the ball during the second half against Houston Texans in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Laterals and ‘Corn Dogs’: Chiefs gain an edge from creative offense

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NEW ORLEANS — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has said he’s dreamed about tossing a lateral to win the Super Bowl.

It’s not that far-fetched an idea.

In a Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints, Kelce caught a pass over the middle well short of the yardage to gain on third-and-22. Instead of settling for a short gain, Kelce found teammate Samaje Perine running a few yards behind the play and pitched it to him, and Perine, with the better angle, bolted for the sticks, setting up a fourth-and-short.

It sounds simple in practice. It looked anything but in real time.

That play wasn’t scripted, but it was practiced, in that the players around Kelce have learned how to approach those situations and be ready for the ball.

“I’m very aware,” Perine said. “You’ve always got to be prepared for it. If you’re behind him, then look for the pitch. If you’re in front of him, then block.”

It’s that level of offensive creativity that permeates the entire Kansas City offense, and it will be something the Philadelphia Eagles will have to contend with in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.

“It’s great to have Patrick Mahomes,” head coach Andy Reid quipped. “He’ll be one of the greats, if not the greatest to have done it.

“I don’t want to slight the coaches or his teammates. He has some good players he’s able to deal the ball to, big offensive linemen that are helping them out … it takes a group.”

Part of what makes that group particularly lethal is its ability to put defenses in bad positions quickly and efficiently.

On another play perhaps more painful for Eagles supporters, the Chiefs ran a version of “Corn Dog” to score a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII. On that play, wide receiver Kadarius Toney moved quickly in motion toward the line as if to run a sweep, a crossing route, or perhaps even to block, before spinning back 180 degrees to run a route toward the pylon instead just as Mahomes took the snap.

Toney popped free and Mahomes threw him the ball quickly for the score, showing off his propensity for creativity and his embrace of the quick game at the same time.

According to Next Gen Stats, Mahomes led the league in both completion percentage (83.6 percent) and success rate (60.9 percent) on quick passes this season. Over his last four games, he’s been even quicker than normal, averaging 2.5 seconds to throw (versus 2.87 seconds to throw in Weeks 1-15).

The Eagles’ defense has been strong against short passes this season, but Chiefs defenders, having had to go against Reid and co.’s machinations all season in practice, caution against getting overconfident about what you’re seeing.

To wit, the Chiefs’ commitment to offensive creativity is so ingrained that their head coach has been known to draw up plays on the fly in practice to put his defense on its heels.

“They try things a lot, they experiment to see if things stick,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. “All through training camp, they’re playing around with formations, routes and just seeing what can work. I think that creativity is fun for the guys, it keeps it engaging, and every once in a while you actually find a good play out of it.”

“Training camp is honestly one of the hardest months of the whole season,” cornerback Trent McDuffie bemoaned. “One, you’ve got to battle Patrick Mahomes, you’ve got to play our fast receivers, and then Coach Reid will literally go draw a play in the dirt and they’ll run it against us. The things you see in training camp, you probably won’t see during the whole year, so it definitely makes it a challenge.”

The Chiefs’ defenders don’t envy the Eagles’ task this week, and much of it stems from their offense’s chemistry.

“Peanut butter and jelly,” Justin Reid said in describing the connection between Mahomes and Kelce. “These guys, the connection they have is real. The understanding of the game … but also their own connection and awareness that Travis will run routes, and if it’s not open they both understand what’s happening and he’ll be able to create something like backyard football and go out and make a play happen.”

“Their connection is unreal.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid (left) with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after defeating the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chiefs notebook: Patrick Mahomes digests formations, not tortillas

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NEW ORLEANS — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked Wednesday about his college playing days, specifically about the tradition at Texas Tech of fans throwing tortillas onto the field to celebrate good plays.

Wisely, Mahomes suggested it would be a mistake to try to eat one of those tortillas, saying that he had never done so.

Mahomes’ mental acumen clearly isn’t limited to the football field.

It was that aspect to his game that his head coach, Andy Reid, shouted out at his Super Bowl LIX press conference Wednesday.

“Patrick’s a real sharp guy, very smart, spends a lot of time at the game making sure that all these crazy formations that we have, he can digest them first and then be able to spit them out,” Reid said.

“He can see and anticipate what the defense is going to do. You’ve gotta know where your guys are and you gotta know where their guys are, and be able to digest all that, too.”

–Two years ago in this spot, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had to deal with the unusual circumstance of facing off against his brother, Jason, who was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

The two are close, hosting a podcast together, so the challenge of trying to win at the other’s expense was difficult. This time around, the Eagles are once again the opponent, but with Jason having retired, the emotions about the game for Travis are a little clearer.

“It’s going to be a little more comfortable for me,” Kelce said. “I love cheering for the Birds whenever I’m not in a Chiefs uniform. It’s mixed emotions of a lot of love that I have for the city of Philadelphia and a lot of the people in that organization, and I don’t wish any bad on them, but man, I want this thing more than ever, man.”

–As the Chiefs have won more and more, they have had to take on the role of being the bad guy, and defensive end Chris Jones had an interesting take on what it means to be hated.

“Every good story has to have a villain,” the three-time Super Bowl champion said. “It’s OK. People love something new. Anything in life, once you get a surplus of it, you start to want to change.”

Jones likened that desire to someone wanting a new car once the dashboard lights start flashing or wanting new shoes even though the old shoes still fit.

“People hate repetition. I get it,” Jones added. “If I was on the outside looking in, I would be saying the same thing, ‘I’m sick of the Chiefs.’”

–Carson Wentz, the Chiefs’ backup option at quarterback, has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career, and he’ll be facing the team that drafted him Sunday. Wentz was injured during the Eagles’ run to a Super Bowl title in 2017, so he couldn’t participate. It’s now a slightly different experience, as the likeliest way he’ll be playing Sunday is via injury.

“(Being out hurt last time) fueled me to come back,” Wentz said.

Wentz, 32, admits to still being competitive, but he has also embraced a backup mentality.

“No one comes into this league getting drafted where I was drafted (No. 2 overall in 2016) looking for that. But at the same time, it’s the hand I’ve been dealt,” Wentz said. “I’m still grateful to be playing it at my age. Still loving it and having a good time with it. This has been a fun year.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Feb 4, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs guard Joe Thuney (62) at a press conference in advance of Super Bowl LIX at New Orleans Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs OL Joe Thuney grateful entering his sixth Super Bowl

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NEW ORLEANS — It’s a popular trivia question, with an answer most people can reason their way into: Which player has made the most Super Bowl appearances?

The answer, for those with short attention spans, is former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who played in an astonishing 10 Super Bowls.

You might be unsurprised to learn that one of Brady’s former teammates is tied for second place with six appearances. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski participated in six of the nine Super Bowls Brady piloted in New England.

The player tied with Gostkowski is a slightly deeper pull, former Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos defensive lineman Mike Lodish. Lodish played in and lost four straight Super Bowls to begin his career with the Bills before breaking through with wins with the Broncos in 1997-98.

Those are the top three, but they’re set to welcome another member to the six-timers club Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney, who began his career with three straight Super Bowl appearances in New England playing with Brady, has now appeared in five, thanks to another two with Kansas City the last two years.

Sunday will make six.

“I feel very fortunate being on the teams I’ve been on, and playing with the players I’ve played with,” Thuney said. “I’ve just tried to do my part in those situations on those teams.”

Thuney, 32, is listed as a guard, but he has seen significant time at left tackle of late, sliding into the spot in Week 15 to solidify an area that had become a trouble spot for the Chiefs.

Rookie Kingsley Suamataia and second-year tackle Wanya Morris were charged with manning the role during the offseason, but neither distinguished themselves through a combined 13 starts.

Enter the three-time Pro Bowler, who despite the switch has surrendered just a single sack (regular season and playoffs) in 2024-25.

“I think all O-linemen want to be able to play wherever,” he said. “It’s different. It’s just a different position, and there are different players you’re dealing with, trying to block. I’m trying to make the most of it.”

As for the personal achievement he’s set to reach on Sunday? He’s in pursuit of something even bigger: a win.

“You definitely want to enjoy it, but at the same time keep your priorities straight,” he said. “Sunday is the reason we’re here. It’s great to enjoy it, soak all this in, but still try to keep that focus on Sunday.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs take comfort riding with QB Patrick Mahomes

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NEW ORLEANS — The best player at the most important position in football figures to have a rather large impact on the outcome of Super Bowl LIX.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes prepares to take his fifth crack at winning the Lombardi Trophy — which would be his fourth — and it’s not a stretch to label him the most consequential player Sunday.

To his teammates, that is an enormously comforting thought.

“There are a lot of things he does behind the scenes that people probably don’t appreciate,” offensive lineman Joe Thuney said. “When I came in (2021), I always thought he was really mature. He always handled himself so well.

“He’s a great player. An elite player.”

This season, Mahomes improved his passer rating to 93.5. He also tossed three fewer interceptions (11 vs. 14) while leading the Chiefs to a 15-2 record and the AFC’s top seed.

As a starter, Mahomes, 29, has never thrown for fewer than 3,900 yards or 26 touchdowns, while never posting a passer rating lower than 92.6.

It’s that consistency and his championship pedigree that are reminiscent of another future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady.

In winning seven Super Bowls, Brady never dipped below 3,500 yards passing or 23 touchdowns in a season in which he played every game, a career that also left him as the NFL’s career leader in completions, yards and touchdowns.

The comparison is not lost on Thuney. He was drafted by the Patriots and played with Brady for four seasons in New England.

“The time they put in at the facility, day in and day out, all the extra games, all the extra film they go through, and just that attitude that everyday they’re trying to get better,” Thuney listed when providing similarities between the two. “The leadership, the example they set … I just feel very fortunate and lucky that I’ve been around it my whole career.”

Mahomes prides himself on a consistent approach. But he credits the entire locker room for the franchise’s success.

“I don’t take it for granted,” Mahomes said. “The guys we have in our locker room have such an appreciation for the process and how hard it is to get to the Super Bowl. (Every offseason) we really go back to ground zero, and we work our tail off to be the best that we can be.”

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a familiar face from his time coaching the division rival Denver Broncos (2019-21), and he brings an approach that can often dictate to an offense.

“The way he’s able to scheme things, the way he’s able to read tendencies, get you out of your best plays, and force you to do things you don’t want to do, he’s one of the best at that stuff,” Mahomes said.

Mahomes was 6-0 against the Broncos during Fangio’s tenure there, but none of those games came on this big a stage. If there’s a glimmer of hope for Eagles supporters that Mahomes may not be at his best Sunday, they might find it there.

The two worst playoff performances of Mahomes’ career have come in the Super Bowl, when he posted a 78.1 rating in Super Bowl LIV (a 31-20 win vs. San Francisco) and a dismal 52.3 rating in the Chiefs’ 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

“Every game has its own challenges in it. You don’t want to get too high or get too low,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “If something bad happens, you want to learn from it and move on.”

Mahomes took that sort of advice to heart. He has since posted ratings of 131.8 and 99.3 in back-to-back Super Bowl victories over Philadelphia and San Francisco.

That kind of improvement shows growth in Mahomes’ game. Kansas City relies less on him to put up big numbers every week. Reid credits at least some of that growth to Mahomes getting to sit his first year and learn from incumbent Alex Smith.

“I’m not saying he couldn’t have been as great as he is now if he didn’t sit, but having (the experience observing) Alex Smith was something that you can’t buy,” Reid said. “I think that’s helped him.”

Mahomes agrees.

“It was extremely important for me,” he said. “Coming into the NFL, you just don’t know what to expect. Instead of being thrown into the fire, and having to figure it out on the fly, I got to learn behind one of the smartest quarterbacks of all time.”

–David Gladow, Field Level Media

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) slides against Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o (39) during the fourth quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Refs union rejects idea they’re aiding Chiefs: ‘Insulting’

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After Roger Goodell dismissed the idea that the league’s officiating crews give deference to the Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL Referees Association released a statement Tuesday calling such theories “insulting and preposterous.”

The release from NFLRA executive director Scott Green began by thanking the commissioner for his comments Monday “about our members’ unwavering dedication to fairness and maintaining the integrity of the game.”

At issue is the notion that the Chiefs, and specifically three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are given favorable treatment when it comes to penalties called (or not called) in-game.

Green, speaking on behalf of the referees’ union, no doubt sees the situation differently.

“Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season,” Green said. “It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team.

“NFL Officials are graded every week, on every single play of each game. These grades are the determining factor as to who receives postseason assignments. The NFLRA commends its members, who all strive to do exactly what all 32 NFL Teams do, which is to excel at their jobs so that they are working the last game of the season — the Super Bowl.”

Theories were given some credence during the AFC divisional round, when ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman reacted in real time to a poor call against the Houston Texans for a late hit on Mahomes. Not only did the scrambling QB give himself up and slide when two Texans players went for a tackle, the teammates launched into each other — making no contact with Mahomes.

“I could not disagree with that one more,” Aikman said. “And he barely gets hit.”

Goodell said in his State of the NFL press conference Monday that the league likely will expand replay assist to include calls on quarterback slides.

Green attempted to convince fans that while calls can be missed, referees’ integrity was unimpeachable.

“There are many things that fans can worry about over a 17-game season,” Green said, “such as coaching decisions, player injuries, the weather and, yes, even close calls on incredible plays made by incredible athletes. But you can rest assured that on every single down, NFL officials, both on the field and in the replay booth, are doing everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly.”

Ron Torbert will be the head referee for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday when the Chiefs face the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s his second Super Bowl assignment.

–Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, center, talks to quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) next to tight end Travis Kelce (87) before a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 26-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes driving Chiefs’ historic run

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There was a time Andy Reid was a sympathetic figure, a champion of the regular season seemingly destined to be an all-time bridesmaid on the NFL sideline.

Through 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid reached one Super Bowl (2004) and lost the NFC Championship Game four times. It’s why owner Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles decided another voice was necessary and fired the coach with the most wins in franchise history.

Reid, 66, was reborn in Kansas City, where he — eventually — became synonymous with the Super Bowl and became the all-time wins leader of a second franchise.

The Chiefs didn’t reach the AFC title game until Reid’s sixth season in Kansas City, and since the Chiefs turned that corner, they have not looked back. They’ve won the AFC West division nine consecutive years and Reid hasn’t lost a postseason game since the 2021 AFC Championship to the Bengals.

There was a chance meeting along the way — Reid and a gunslinger from Texas Tech, quarterback Patrick Mahomes — that didn’t hurt the evolution of the Chiefs from doormat to dynasty. The pair won their first Super Bowl after the 2019 season.

That’s not top of mind for Reid this week, according to Mahomes. He said Reid has tunnel vision. A hot topic during the open week before heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX and a chance at a third Super Bowl victory in a row? Perfecting their snap cadence.

“That’s the stuff he focuses on,” Mahomes said. “I think the only time I’ve heard (Andy Reid) say [three-peat] is to the media whenever you all ask him about it.”

Come Monday and the start of the big-game festivities in New Orleans — a backdrop for the Chiefs’ bid to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls — the questions will start fast and furious. Reid will be seeking that historic win against his former team, the Eagles, on Feb. 9.

And Reid, now with 301 victories combined between the regular season and playoffs, and Mahomes — 17-3 in the playoffs and bidding for his fourth Super Bowl ring — are on the verge of adding to their shimmering legacies. A fourth Super Bowl ring for Mahomes would put him in a three-way tie for second-most all-time with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.

It would also be over halfway to Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins.

“I think you always want to leave a legacy and make your imprint on history, but more than anything, you just want to accomplish a goal that you have with your teammates,” Mahomes said. “When you start (training camp) in St. Joe, your goal is to win the Super Bowl. We know it’s a hard process, we know it’s a hard week in and week out, but I’m proud of how our guys have went about that process. We know it’s not going to be easy, this team we’re playing is a really good football team, but we’re going to go out there and put our best effort out there and play as a team. Hopefully, that’s enough to get a win.”

Before the season and while wading through questions and rumors about retirement, Reid signed a new pact that runs through 2029 and made him the league’s highest-paid coach. With win No. 18 of the season this week, Reid could be just 22 shy of George Halas (324) for third on the NFL’s all-time wins list.

And by Sunday night, Reid could have four Super Bowl wins as a head coach, tying Steelers coach Chuck Noll for second on the all-time list and two shy of Bill Belichick’s record six rings. Belichick won two more as an assistant coach and has 333 victories as a head coach, second to Don Shula (347).

“We all know that’s out there but what matters is how you take care of business,” Reid said of the historic ramifications of another Super Bowl win in an interview with Rich Eisen of the NFL Network this week. “What’s going to help you is that you focus in and take care or business today while we’re doing our practices or in the meetings we have today. Take care of that and everything else you let the chips fall where they may.”

–Field Level Media

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on in the third quarter of the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024.

Broncos’ Sean Payton: Chiefs earned right to rest players

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The Broncos would clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday, and Denver coach Sean Payton isn’t concerned that the opposition won’t be at full strength.

Denver (9-7) plays host to the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), who have wrapped up AFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs will hold out quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters in the regular-season finale to keep the squad healthy for a run at a third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Payton said Wednesday, “Like I said to the team this morning, ‘Our focus has got to be on this team in general.’ They’ll be, I’m sure, some different people in different places. …

“Credit to Kansas City, (Chiefs coach) Andy (Reid) and his team. When you go 15-1, then you’re afforded those decisions. I’ve been in that position where your team might need a break here or there. They’ve earned that and that’s part of the deal. For us, it’s about understanding what we’re seeing scheme-wise and being ready to play our best game.”

Chiefs backup QB Carson Wentz will get the start in place of Mahomes. Wentz owns a 47-45-1 record as an NFL starter but is on his fifth team in five years and has made just one start over the past two seasons, a win for the Los Angeles Rams one year ago this week.

“He’s in this league for a reason,” Payton said. “He’s big, and he’s strong. He was a first-round draft pick. We spoke during the offseason a little bit with him and his agents. It’s the player but it’s also everything around it and understanding what they’re trying to do.”

The Broncos would wrap up a wild-card berth with a victory or if both Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals lose or tie this weekend.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in the team,” Payton said. “Yes, it’s a big game. Like I said before, I think we’ll play in bigger, but this is a big game. It’s a division opponent. We’re playing a team with championship pedigree. They’re well-coached and we’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for what they’ve accomplished.

“We understand (that) we’re going to have to play well. That’s what gets you excited about coaching in this league. It’s what gets you excited about playing in this league. It’s important we have a good week of preparation.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Carson Wentz (11) readies for the snap against the Detroit Lions during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs to rest QB Patrick Mahomes; Carson Wentz to start

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The Kansas City Chiefs will rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the host Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs (15-1) have locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and head coach Andy Reid confirmed Wednesday that veteran Carson Wentz will be under center on Sunday.

Wentz, 32, has played a total of nine snaps in two games this season, his first with Kansas City. He completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Drafted No. 2 overall by Philadelphia in 2016, Wentz is 47-45-1 as a starter with the Eagles (2016-20), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023) and Chiefs.

Wentz has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 22,312 yards with 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2017.

Mahomes, 29, has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 3,928 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.

Although Sunday’s game has no bearing on the two-time defending champion Chiefs’ playoff seeding, the fates of the Broncos (9-7), Miami Dolphins (8-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) are at stake.

Including Kansas City’s first-round playoff bye, Mahomes and other Chiefs who sit out Sunday will have a whopping 23 or 24 days of rest before the Jan. 18-19 divisional round.

–Field Level Media