The Kansas City Chiefs will carry three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season, keeping Patrick Mahomes, Justin Fields and rookie Garrett Nussmeier following final roster cuts.
Kansas City officially trimmed its roster to 53 players ahead of the regular season, and one of the most interesting decisions came at quarterback.
Rather than keeping only Mahomes and Fields while attempting to move Nussmeier to the practice squad, the Chiefs decided to protect the rookie by giving him a spot on the active roster.
The decision gives Kansas City an intriguing combination of an established superstar, an experienced former first-round pick and a developmental rookie in its quarterback room.
Kansas City Chiefs Quarterbacks on 53-Man Roster
The Chiefs kept three quarterbacks following their 2026 roster cuts:
| Quarterback | Role |
|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Starting QB |
| Justin Fields | Backup QB |
| Garrett Nussmeier | Developmental/No. 3 QB |
Chris Oladokun, who had also been competing for a roster position, did not make the Chiefs’ initial 53-man roster.
That leaves Mahomes, Fields and Nussmeier as Kansas City’s quarterback group entering the 2026 regular season.
Patrick Mahomes Remains Chiefs’ Starting Quarterback
There is obviously no quarterback controversy at the top of the Chiefs’ depth chart.
Patrick Mahomes remains Kansas City’s franchise quarterback and starter.
Mahomes has already built one of the most accomplished careers by a quarterback in NFL history, winning multiple NFL MVP awards and leading Kansas City to three Super Bowl championships.
The 2026 season, however, carries additional attention surrounding Mahomes after his 2025 campaign ended early because of a knee injury.
Mahomes’ status makes having reliable depth behind him particularly important for Kansas City.
That is where Justin Fields becomes a significant addition to the Chiefs’ roster.
Justin Fields Gives Chiefs an Experienced Backup
Justin Fields enters the 2026 season as Mahomes’ primary backup.
The former No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft gives head coach Andy Reid an experienced quarterback who has already started numerous games in the NFL.
Fields previously played for the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets before joining Kansas City.
His mobility also gives the Chiefs a different type of quarterback behind Mahomes.
Fields became one of the NFL’s most dangerous rushing quarterbacks early in his career and recorded more than 1,000 rushing yards during the 2022 season with Chicago.
Having a quarterback with Fields’ starting experience provides Kansas City with significant insurance behind Mahomes.
Why Did the Chiefs Keep Garrett Nussmeier?
The most interesting decision was keeping Garrett Nussmeier as the third quarterback.
Kansas City selected Nussmeier with the No. 249 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after his college career at LSU.
Despite being a seventh-round selection, Nussmeier entered the NFL with an intriguing résumé.
He threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns during his first full season as LSU’s starter in 2024. Injuries limited him during the 2025 season, but Kansas City saw enough potential to use a draft pick on him.
Nussmeier then continued making his case during the Chiefs’ offseason program and preseason.
Keeping him on the 53-man roster means Kansas City does not have to expose the rookie quarterback to waivers in an attempt to move him to the practice squad.
Another team potentially could have claimed Nussmeier if Kansas City had waived him.
Instead, the Chiefs protected their developmental quarterback by using one of their 53 roster spots on him.
Chiefs Carry Three Quarterbacks for First Time Since 2022
Kansas City’s decision is also notable because the Chiefs have generally entered recent seasons with only two quarterbacks on their initial active roster.
The 2026 Chiefs are carrying three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster for the first time since 2022.
That season, Kansas City’s quarterback room included Mahomes, Chad Henne and Shane Buechele.
Roster spots are extremely valuable following NFL cutdown day, making Kansas City’s willingness to dedicate three of them to quarterbacks an indication of how much the organization values its depth at the position.
It also allows the Chiefs to develop Nussmeier without immediately forcing him into a backup role.
Chiefs Quarterback Depth Chart for 2026
Kansas City’s quarterback depth chart entering the season projects as:
QB1: Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes remains the unquestioned starter and centerpiece of the Chiefs offense.
QB2: Justin Fields
Fields provides Kansas City with an experienced backup capable of starting if Mahomes is unavailable.
QB3: Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier gives Kansas City a developmental quarterback who can spend his rookie season learning Andy Reid’s offense behind Mahomes and Fields.
The setup could be particularly beneficial for Nussmeier.
Rather than being forced into action immediately, the former LSU quarterback gets an opportunity to develop inside one of the NFL’s most established offensive systems while learning alongside Mahomes.
Chiefs Release Chris Oladokun
Kansas City’s decision to carry Mahomes, Fields and Nussmeier meant Chris Oladokun did not make the initial 53-man roster.
Oladokun had spent several years in the Chiefs organization and entered training camp competing with Nussmeier for a potential roster position.
Nussmeier ultimately won the spot.
The decision represents another sign that Kansas City views the rookie as a quarterback worth developing beyond the 2026 season.
What Keeping Three Quarterbacks Means for Kansas City
Keeping three quarterbacks gives the Chiefs both immediate insurance and a potential long-term developmental option.
Mahomes remains the franchise quarterback.
Fields gives Kansas City a veteran backup with significant NFL starting experience.
Nussmeier gives the organization a young quarterback it can develop without risking losing him through waivers.
That combination gives Kansas City one of the more interesting quarterback rooms entering the 2026 NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs 2026 Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes: Franchise starter
Justin Fields: Veteran backup and former first-round pick
Garrett Nussmeier: Rookie developmental quarterback
For the Chiefs, using three roster spots at quarterback represents a departure from their recent roster construction.
But with Mahomes returning from injury, Fields providing experienced depth and Nussmeier showing enough promise to warrant protection, Kansas City decided all three quarterbacks deserved a place on the 2026 53-man roster.