Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other starters won’t play in the team’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, coach Andy Reid said Wednesday.
Instead, Blaine Gabbert will start in place of Mahomes. The 34-year-old backup appeared in one game this season, completing three passes for 31 yards in the Chiefs’ 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 3.
The news of Mahomes sitting ahead of the postseason doesn’t come as a major surprise. Kansas City locked up the AFC West for an eighth consecutive year with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and sit third in the conference.
Mahomes, who has thrown for 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns this season, participated in Wednesday’s practice, but the Chiefs planned to limit his repetitions this week as part of his preparation ahead of the team’s upcoming playoff run. This will be the second time in Mahomes’ six-year run as the Chiefs’ starter in which he will not play in the regular season finale. The additional positive for Mahomes is that the Chiefs should have all their receivers — rookie Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Richie James, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Mecole Hardman and Justyn Ross — available for Sunday’s game, the last dress rehearsal for the group to show improvement before the team’s quest to become the NFL’s first repeat champion in two decades.
Sunday’s game will be Gabbert’s first start since Dec. 30, 2018, when he was with the Tennessee Titans. A 12-year veteran, Gabbert knows connecting with tight end Travis Kelce will likely be his priority against the Chargers. Although Reid didn’t say whether Kelce would start or rest, Gabbert wants to make sure the future Hall of Fame tight end records at least 16 receiving yards. If that occurs, Kelce would have his eighth consecutive season of finishing with 1,000 yards, extending his own NFL record for tight ends.
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