Back-up quarterback profiled as Patrick Mahomes unsure if he will play for Kansas City in week 18

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It’s been a season filled with numerous setbacks, but the Kansas City Chiefs will have a chance to defend their Super Bowl crown.

A 25-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday officially clinched them the AFC West title, meaning they’re officially in the postseason.

The Baltimore Ravens locked up first overall in the AFC with an emphatic 56-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

That also means that the Chiefs will be the #3 seed when the playoffs begin and must play in the Wild Card Round for only the second time in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Will Mahomes Start the Chiefs’ Regular-Season Finale?

So, the Chiefs can do no better or worse than third in their conference, regardless of what happens in their regular season final versus the Los Angeles Chargers.

That’s something Mahomes wasn’t aware of.

“I didn’t know that, but I kind of just let Coach Reid make all those decisions,” Mahomes said.

“If he wants us to build off this momentum, I’ll be ready to roll. If he wants to give us some rest, I’ll get that rest, prepare for whoever we’re going to play and get ready for the playoffs.”

Therefore, Andy Reid may keep his star QB on the sidelines, giving backup Blaine Gabbert a chance to maybe start for the first time in his Chiefs’ career.

An injury to Mahomes would be devastating to their chances of repeating, with the reigning league MVP practically winning the previous Super Bowl on one leg.

We’ve rarely seen anyone other than Mahomes behind centre for KC this season but they need him if they’re to repeat as champs.

Of the 605 passing attempts made by the Chiefs this season, 597 have come from Mahomes.

Gabbert has five pass attempts, while Tommy Townsend, Jerrick McKinnon and Kadarius Toney all have one.

What Blaine Gabbert Brings to the Chiefs Offense?

Coming out of high school in 2008, Gabbert had a five-star recruit rating.

In three seasons at the University of Missouri, two as a starter, he put up a career passer rating average of 132.6 with 40 touchdown passes.

Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him at #10 in the 2011 NFL Draft, things haven’t panned out so well for Gabbert professionally.

He won just five games in his first three seasons as the starter in Duvall County before his trade to the San Francisco 49ers.

Gabbert briefly became the starting QB with the Niners under Jim Tomsula in 2015, boasting a record of 3-5 as the starter that year.

Before brief stops in Arizona and Tennessee, Gabbert seemed to have found a home in Tampa, serving as Tom Brady’s backup for three seasons, winning the Super Bowl during the 2020 campaign.

While Gabbert has a completion percentage of over 60% since 2021, he hasn’t started a game since 2018.

His prototypical NFL QB size and speed got him into the NFL, though his arm often gets him in trouble, with Gabbert frequently throwing the ball in harm’s way.

That being said, he hasn’t tossed a pick since 2018, so perhaps playing behind Brady all those years did him some good.

The Chiefs finish the regular season in Los Angeles against the Chargers on Sunday.