Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have waited for months to get back to work with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are already preparing to play the Seattle Seahawks in their second preseason game.
Whether Mahomes will suit up on Friday remains to be seen though, as Reid suggested during his Wednesday press conference that he may prefer to rest his starting quarterback in Seattle.
“There’s a good chance he doesn’t, but we’ll see how it goes,” Reid said on Mahomes playing against the Seahawks, as quoted by Chiefs reporter Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports.
Mahomes, however, let his head coach know he’ll be ready to play, sending Reid a clear message about his intentions for the game in Seattle. “Mahomes says he’ll be prepared to play on Friday and maximize his opportunities, should he get any,” Goldman wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Reid barely played Mahomes in Chiefs’ preseason debut
Mahomes took only one snap in the Chiefs’ preseason debut against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jason Brownlee in Kansas City’s 20-17 loss at the State Farm Stadium.
Reid used the game to give playing time to the rest of the quarterbacks on the Chiefs’ roster. Bailey Zappe, who was already part of the practice squad last season, got the most reps but failed to impress.
The former New England Patriots QB struggled in Arizona, completing just eight of 17 passes for 70 yards with two interceptions. Chris Oladokun, on the other hand, went 6-of-13 for 39 yards with no touchdowns or picks. Gardner Minshew, who is expected to be QB2 on the depth chart and therefore serve as Mahomes’ backup, also got to see the field, completing six of nine passes for 54 yards.
With Reid declaring his intention to rest Mahomes, the game in Seattle may be yet another audition for Zappe and Oladokun in their battle for the QB3 spot. The Chiefs will play the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Friday, August 15, at 10 PM (ET).