Ahead of their preseason opener, the Los Angeles Rams’ backup quarterback situation appears relatively straightforward. Their opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, appear to be in the same boat, but have a potentially intriguing battle at the No. 3 spot behind Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields.
As previously stated, the Rams’ backup quarterback battle behind Matthew Stafford is more cut-and-dried. The team’s first unofficial depth chart listed Stetson Bennett as the backup to the reigning MVP, with rookie
Ty Simpson closely behind in the No. 3 spot. For the Chiefs, it’s more up in the air, even if the primary backup position behind Mahomes appears set ahead of the regular season.
Read more: Rams depth chart revealed ahead of first preseason game
In their first unofficial depth chart, Fields holds the QB2 role, with rookie Garrett Nussmeier at No. 3 and fifth-year signal caller Chris Oladokun at No. 4. All three players are expected to split reps against the Rams on Saturday.
At first glance, it’s somewhat surprising to see Nussmeier ahead of Oladokun. While Kansas City selected Nussmeier in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft, Oladokun has more experience with the offense, including a surprise start in 2025.
During a Christmas Day game against the eventual top-seeded Broncos, Oladokun was put in an impossible situation. KC was already eliminated from playoff contention. Mahomes and his backup Gardner Minshew were out with season-ending injuries, so it was his turn to start. All the Chiefs could do was play spoiler, and they did, albeit in one of the ugliest games of the year.
Oladokun didn’t play overly well, but he didn’t cost his team the game in a closer-than-expected 20-13 loss. He went 13-of-22 passing for only 66 yards, but threw a first half touchdown to running back Brashard Smith that helped give the Chiefs a 7-6 advantage at halftime.
After waiting four years on the practice squad, Oladokun nearly led a monumental upset in his first NFL start. Despite hitting Travis Kelce three times for 23 yards and having a 7-yard rush on the potential game-tying drive, a costly penalty and two incomplete passes doomed the Chiefs. Even in a losing effort, Oladokun earned respect around the league and undoubtedly from the locker room. He again came up short the following week in a two-point loss to the Raiders.
Expect Oladokun to at least make things interesting at KC’s No. 3 spot, especially if he continues to split the reps throughout the preseason. Nussmeier is another interesting prospect, as he threw 42 touchdown passes in his final two seasons at LSU. Injuries hampered him during the 2025 campaign, but he still managed to become the third-ranked quarterback on The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s draft board, behind Fernando Mendoza and Simpson.
Missing time certainly hurt his draft stock, yet the former Tigers star made up for it in the Senior Bowl. Nussmeier completed 5-of-8 passes for 57 yards and rushed for the game’s opening touchdown. Although he threw an interception — which ultimately wasn’t his fault, as it went through the receiver’s hands — he wasn’t docked for it, earning MVP honors for his efforts.
Nothing should be considered a lock as the Chiefs figure out what they have in Fields and especially in Nussmeier and Oladokun. The rookie from LSU offers a high upside, while Oladokun has some NFL starting experience. There isn’t anything resembling a quarterback controversy in KC, but there’s still plenty of excitement on the opposing sideline for Rams fans.
