BREAKING: Kansas City Chiefs Cut Quarterback In Surprise Move Ahead Of 2026 Season
He completed his first career pass to Travis Kelce back in December.
The Chiefs closed out last season leaning on their fourth-string quarterback. Unfortunately, he hasn’t survived this year’s roster cuts.
Kansas City waived Chris Oladokun on Sunday with an injury designation. He’d started the team’s final two regular-season games last year, stepping in after both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew went down with season-ending injuries.
That emergency stretch marked the biggest moment of his four-year run with the franchise.
Oladokun’s Path Back To Kansas City Now Looks Unlikely
Aug 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
Oladokun joined the Chiefs‘ practice squad in August 2022, right after Pittsburgh drafted and then cut him as a seventh-round pick. He spent most of his tenure bouncing between the active roster and practice squad, re-signing with Kansas City on reserve/futures deals in both 2023 and 2025.
He’d been waived and re-signed multiple times before, a pattern that had become almost routine heading into 2026.
This year looks different, though. Kansas City waived him with an injury designation, meaning he’ll revert straight to injured reserve if he goes unclaimed, ending any realistic shot at a 2026 season with the team unless he’s released through a separate injury settlement.
The Chiefs didn’t waste time reassigning his old number, either. Rookie Garrett Nussmeier, who wore No. 14 through camp and the preseason, received Oladokun’s No. 19 just one day after the move.
The #Chiefs have waived QB Chris Oladokun, who started their final two regular-season games last season. pic.twitter.com/ZyuXY8QaKl
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 4, 2026
Kansas City Settled Its Backup Situation Behind Mahomes
Jul 29, 2026; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields (6) hands off to running back Emari Demercado (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
Kansas City built out a new quarterback room this offseason, trading for veteran Justin Fields to serve as Mahomes’ primary backup. The team also made its first quarterback pick since 2017 on Nussmeier, selecting the LSU product in the seventh round after a surprising draft-day slide.
Nussmeier impressed enough during preseason to lock down the third quarterback spot, throwing for 98 yards on 13-of-19 passing against the Rams before later starting against Seattle once Oladokun entered concussion protocol.
Oladokun’s own preseason didn’t help his case much. He completed just 10 of 17 passes for 78 yards across two appearances before missing the finale entirely due to the concussion evaluation.
With Mahomes expected to be healthy for Week 1, Kansas City decided it no longer needed a fourth arm in the quarterback room, closing the book on Oladokun’s stint in Kansas City for now.
