To say that the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun has experienced a whirlwind December would be an understatement.
Oladokun opened the month on Kansas City’s practice squad, where he has spent
much of the past four seasons. After quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Oladokun was signed to the active roster on December 20 — one day before the Chiefs hosted the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.
In that game, Oladokun was thrust into action after backup quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending knee injury. He then had a short week to prepare for his first career start — a Christmas Day matchup against the Denver Broncos on “Thursday Night Football.”
Speaking before Wednesday’s practice, Oladokun said he appreciated having a full week to prepare for the Chiefs’ season finale on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“[I’m] definitely getting on more of the same page with all the receivers and stuff like that,” he remarked, “and really just dialing into the playbook. When you have that short week, you’re sort of just cramming everything into 24 hours to get [it] down. So to have a full week is going to be great.”
Head coach Andy Reid noted Wednesday that Oladokun has shown steady improvement since stepping into the starting role.
“I think every day that he has an opportunity to do it, he’s better at it,” the coach observed. “We went through the walkthrough, gave him a new load here to pick up, and he handled that — the verbal part.”
“He’s been awesome,” center Creed Humphrey said of the third-string quarterback. “Chris is a great player and a great teammate. So seeing him get this opportunity has been awesome, and he’s made some great plays.
“He’s done a great job coming in every day, being a good leader for this team, focusing on making sure he’s ready for Sunday — or Thursday, last week — but just making sure he’s ready to roll. He’s been awesome with it — and he’s not someone [who is] taking it for granted. He’s coming in [and] putting his best foot forward every day.”
Although Sunday will mark just his fourth career regular-season appearance, Oladokun has been with the Chiefs since 2022. While he has spent much of that time preparing in meetings, he is now readjusting to the physical demands of quarterback play.
“Physically, it definitely feels different,” Oladokun noted of his current role. “I’m actually out there breaking a sweat a little bit, so that’s definitely different. Even in the meeting rooms, I’ve always prepared like any play I can play, so my preparation hasn’t changed from that standpoint. But physically, you’re definitely taking all the reps, and you’re in there.”
Despite limited game experience, Oladokun believes his years in Kansas City — working alongside Mahomes, Reid, Matt Nagy and Travis Kelce — have prepared him for this moment.
“If I look back,” he pondered, “if I was thrust into this spot my rookie year, I’m like, ‘Would I be ready?’ I’d like to think I was, but definitely learning the last four years and just being in the system — watching Pat, Coach Reid, Nags, and just even the guys like Trav that have been here for a long time and seeing how they go about their businesses — really helped me on the field and off the field as well. [It’s about] just being a professional, learning good study habits and things like that.”
As Oladokun prepares for what could be a showcase performance, he’s aware of Reid’s long track record developing quarterbacks — including backups who have gone on to succeed elsewhere.
“It’s invaluable,” he declared. “I think Coach Reid — his resume speaks for itself with quarterbacks [on] the teams he’s led — and backup quarterbacks that have gone on to play well in other places, as well. So that’s always an opportunity that you don’t want to miss, if you have someone to learn from like Coach Reid.”
Mahomes will likely spend the offseason rehabbing his injury. Minshew avoided an ACL tear, but is unsigned for 2026. Oladokun, however, is under contract through 2026. What his role looks like while Mahomes recovers remains an open question.
Reid acknowledged that Sunday’s performance could factor into future quarterback decisions.
“I think this game will be another audition for that,” he predicted. “I think that’s good. He did a nice job last week in the time he had to execute and jump in there the week before. So we’ll just see where he continues to grow.”
