The early results of tests on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ knee are in, and the Chiefs have avoided the worst-case scenario. Mahomes reportedly has a dislocated kneecap. But tests didn’t reveal other significant damage to the knee.
Mahomes reportedly will seek additional opinions. But the expectation is that Mahomes will miss some playing time.
So what do the Chiefs do at quarterback in the meantime?
Here are five options:
Sign Colin Kaepernick
Of all the street free agents available, Kaepernick is easily the biggest name out there. But that doesn’t necessarily work in his favor. Kaepernick became a hugely polarizing figure in 2016 when he stopped standing for the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice. That resulted in wide-spread criticism of the former San Francisco quarterback, including some strong statements from President Donald Trump. Kaepernick opted out of his contract before the 2017 season, expecting to land elsewhere as a free agent. But nothing happened.
In November 2017, Kaepernick alleged that team owners were colluding to keep him out of the NFL, and he filed a grievance against the league and all the owners. A settlement was reached in February of this year, and Kaepernick withdrew the grievance. Still, he has not signed with any NFL team since his departure from the 49ers, despite the fact some personnel people say he’s more talented than many quarterbacks currently in the league.
Would the Chiefs actually give Kaepernick a chance? That would be a tough call, because there undoubtedly would be some backlash from fans and media. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has followed in the footsteps of his father, Lamar Hunt, and is regarded as one of the league’s old-guard owners. If there really is collusion – and it’s important to emphasize that’s never been proven – Hunt might stay clear of Kaepernick.
On the flip side, Hunt is widely respected and might be strong enough to handle the heat that would come with signing Kaepernick. The same might be said for head coach Andy Reid.
From a personnel standpoint alone, the Chiefs should at least consider signing Kaepernick. When he was at the top of his game in 2013 and ’14, he was perhaps the league’s top dual-threat quarterback. In 2013, he threw for 3,197 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 524 yards and four touchdowns. In 2014, he passed for 3,369 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 639 yards and one touchdown.
However, it should also be pointed out he later lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert, and Kaepernick’s career record as a starter is 28-30. Is he a great quarterback? No. But he might be the best available quarterback.
Would the Chiefs take a chance on Kaepernick and all the positives and negatives that come with him? We’ll see.
Stick with Matt Moore
Moore is Patrick Mahomes’ backup, and he played reasonably well after entering the game Thursday night. He completed 10 of 19 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. But the reality is Moore is nothing more than a career journeyman, and he wasn’t even supposed to be Kansas City’s backup this year. That job was supposed to belong to Chad Henne, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason and Moore got the job by default.
Still, going with Moore as the starter and signing a street free agent as the backup might be the most logical move for the Chiefs in the short term. Moore already knows Kansas City’s offense and has familiarity with teammates. The Chiefs are still a talented team, and Moore can get them to the playoffs if he manages games effectively.
But even coach Andy Reid, a quarterback guru, has to realize Moore, 35, isn’t going to magically turn into a stud. Moore only had one season where he was the primary starter. That was 2011 with Miami. That season, Moore completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions. That kind of performance is the absolute ceiling of what the Chiefs can expect from Moore as a starter — and the floor is much lower. Keep in mind, Moore wasn’t even in the league in 2018.
Go get Cam Newton
This one is probably a long shot, but it would be worth Kansas City’s time to at least put in a call to the Carolina Panthers before the Oct. 29 trade deadline. That’s a team with a quarterback controversy brewing. Newton has missed four games with a foot injury, and Kyle Allen has stepped in and guided the Panthers to a 4-0 record as the starter.
Allen could be Carolina’s future (the team also has third-round draft pick Will Grier), and Newton could be the Panthers past. Although Newton is only 30, there is concern that he’s breaking down physically. In addition to the foot, he also had major shoulder surgery in the offseason.
But, if Newton were to land with the Chiefs, he could recapture his former form and resemble Patrick Mahomes. When Newton was the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2015, his playing style resembled that of Mahomes. But again, this deal is probably a long shot, because the Panthers likely would want at least a first-round pick in exchange for Newton.
But bringing in Newton wouldn’t be impossible if the Chiefs want to do it. They have plenty of available cap room ($22 million). Plus, they only would be renting Newton. They could cut him after the season and not be responsible for any of his $21 million cap hit for next year.
Call the Dolphins
Miami has been more than willing to trade players for draft picks. Miami has a guy that could be a perfect fit for the Chiefs in veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even though Fitzpatrick is back as the starter after temporarily losing his job to Josh Rosen, the Dolphins almost certainly would be willing to trade him for a draft pick or two. The Dolphins already have shown they’re more interested in accumulating draft picks than they are in winning this year.
Fitzpatrick isn’t even close to Mahomes in terms of ability. He’s bounced around the league since 2005 and been both a starter and backup. He’s been explosive in short stretches, like last year when he had two monstrous games to help Tampa Bay get off to a 2-0 start. The Harvard product can throw the deep ball and would fit nicely with receiver Tyreek Hill. Fitzpatrick had great chemistry on the deep ball with DeSean Jackson in Tampa Bay. Jackson even came out and said Fitzpatrick should be starting instead of Jameis Winston.
With good talent around him, Fitzpatrick is capable of taking a team deep into the playoffs. He could be the right answer for the Chiefs.
Bring in Eli Manning
Much like the Dolphins, the Giants are in a rebuilding mode and are trying to accumulate as many draft picks as possible. Manning, their longtime starter, is currently sitting on the bench, and rookie Daniel Jones is starting. Manning is in the final year of his contract, and the only way he gets to play in New York again this year is if Jones gets injured.
The Giants have nothing to lose by trading Manning. They would be getting a draft pick or picks in return for a guy that’s not going to be with them. This is a no-brainer for New York.
It should also be a no-brainer for Kansas City. Manning is the best option out there. No, he’s not as good as he was in his prime. But he’s still reliable and knows how to win big games – something Kansas City coach Andy Reid doesn’t have a long history of doing.
Besides, Kansas City’s ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl. Manning has done that twice and – with a good team around him – could do it one more time.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
