The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason without their biggest star. Patrick Mahomes will once again watch from the sideline as Andy Reid continues to take a cautious approach with his quarterback ahead of the regular season.
Mahomes has made remarkable progress in his recovery from the serious knee injury he suffered last season. He has been cleared for full-team work and has looked increasingly comfortable during training camp, but the Chiefs have no reason to expose him to unnecessary preseason contact with the regular season approaching.
That makes Saturday’s matchup against the Buccaneers another opportunity to evaluate the quarterbacks behind him. Justin Fields will get the start, while Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun are also expected to receive significant playing time as the Chiefs continue preparing their roster for the 2026 campaign.
Will Patrick Mahomes play today against the Buccaneers?
No. Andy Reid’s decision is primarily about protecting Patrick Mahomes and making sure his star quarterback is ready when the games begin to count. The Chiefs have already kept him out of their preseason opener, and Reid confirmed that Mahomes will also sit out Saturday’s game in Tampa Bay.
The quarterback’s recovery has been the main topic for Kansas City throughout the offseason. Mahomes suffered a torn ACL last December and underwent surgery, but his progress has been described as encouraging. He has even participated in full-team work during training camp as he works toward the regular-season opener.
Still, there is a major difference between looking good in controlled practice situations and returning to the real pace and physicality of an NFL game. The Chiefs appear determined to avoid taking that risk in August, especially with Mahomes’ return to regular-season action becoming the priority.
Who will start for the Chiefs vs Bucs?
Justin Fields is expected to be the Chiefs’ starting quarterback against Tampa Bay, giving him another important opportunity to run Kansas City’s offense in preseason action. Reid previously announced that Fields would receive roughly the first quarter and a half of the game.
Garrett Nussmeier is expected to take over after Fields, with the seventh-round rookie also projected to receive roughly a quarter and a half of playing time. That should give the Chiefs another extended look at the young quarterback as they evaluate their depth behind Mahomes.
Chris Oladokun is then expected to handle the fourth quarter. Reid described the planned rotation as a rough itinerary, meaning the exact distribution could change depending on how the game develops.
