Former Samford QB set to start for Chiefs: ‘It's definitely been crazy’

Chris Oladokun was on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad at this time last week. Now the former Samford signal-caller is preparing to make his first NFL start as the Kansas City quarterback in a Christmas night game against the Denver Broncos.

“It’s definitely been crazy,” Oladokun said. “You know, stuff happens fast in the league. People always say that. So definitely just been a lot of preparation getting ready for this game, and I’m super excited to go out there and show the world what I got.”

For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs aren’t going to the AFC playoffs, but Oladokun still has plenty to play for after nearly four seasons as a practice-squad member.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” Oladokun said, “and it’s something I don’t take lightly. You know, these opportunities don’t come around often. And so when you get them, you got to take that and run with it, so this is not only a big game for our team, but me personally a big game in terms of letting the league know what I can do and let these coaches know what I can do, and, moving forward, having that confidence in me if something were to happen that they feel confident I can go out there and execute the game plan.”

Oladokun has been along for the ride as quarterback Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City to the Super Bowl in each of the previous three seasons. But Mahomes went down with a season-ending knee injury in a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.

Backup QB Gardner Minshew started against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but he also fell victim to a season-ending knee injury, putting Oladokun on the field in the second quarter.

Oladokun’s regular-season experience when he took the field on Sunday amounted to five snaps in the meaningless 2024 regular-season finale.

“That the moment wasn’t too big for me,” Oladokun said when asked what he learned from his first extensive NFL regular-season action. “I felt really calm out there. Felt like I was seeing things pretty good. Game didn’t seem too fast for me, and you just never know how you’re going to react in those situations until you’re in it. And I’m never too high, never too low in those moments. And so it was good to go out there and get some live regular-season snaps because that’s just something that I haven’t really had these past four years.”

Oladokun completed 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and ran two times for seven yards in a 26-9 loss to Tennessee. He was sacked four times.

“One of the very first plays we had,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said, “we had a little jet motion where we were going to try to time it up and snap it on time, and the timing was off a little bit, and what he did is he stopped them. He stopped the motion, let him get set, got the back in the right spot and made a simple play. And I think that that just speaks to his calm of where he was at in that moment early on in the game. I was proud of him for that. It’s not easy.

“We were just talking about it earlier. Even just the simplicity of a cadence that you just don’t have with those guys. So I thought he handled the early part of it well. We had a few RPOs in there and he made good decisions, and then he does some things with his legs. But I was proud of him. I thought he kept his calm the whole time. That’s not an easy moment in that situation.

“And I just think back to the first day that he was with us, where he came from and what he’s worked so hard for behind the scenes with Pat and these guys, (quarterbacks) coach (David) Girardi. So here he is presented with this opportunity, and I know he’s ready for it.”

Oladokun entered the NFL from South Dakota State, his third college stop after South Florida in his hometown of Tampa and Samford.

For Samford in 2019, Oladokun completed 169-of-272 passes for 2,058 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions and ran for 491 yards and eight touchdowns on 127 carries.

In 2020, Oladokun completed 37-of-56 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and ran for 26 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries as Liam Welch became Samford’s No. 1 quarterback.

Oladokun will become the second Samford alumnus to start an NFL regular-season game at quarterback. Former Moritmer Jordan High School star Devlin “Duck” Hodges started six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019.

A seventh-round draft choice of the Steelers in 2022, Oladokun was buried on the depth chart behind veterans Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph and 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett as Pittsburgh tried to decide which QB would replace Ben Roethlisberger after his retirement, Oladokun was an early cut on Aug. 23. Kansas City signed him eight days later for its practice squad.

At the end of the preseason in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the Chiefs waived Oladokun in the roster reduction for the regular season. In 2023 and 2025, Kansas City signed Oladokun for its practice squad as soon as he cleared waivers. But in 2024, Oladokun was a free agent for eight weeks before the Chiefs brought him back.

“That was a different experience for me,” Oladokun said. “I was in a different city every single week working out. I believe I worked out with, like, seven or eight teams. I was just constantly in hotels and getting flights and stuff like that. And, you know, you’re sitting at home with your buddies on Sundays watching games, and you’re like, ‘Man, like, I really used to be out there those Sundays.’ So it definitely makes you appreciate any opportunity you have to be in this league, no matter it’s active roster, practice squad. It is hard to play in the NFL, and it’s hard to stick on rosters.

“But also internally it really motivated me, made me sort of look at myself in the mirror and see what I need to get better at physically and mentally. And I think I had a really good plan with my QB coach back home, CJ Bennett. And we sort of attacked it, and I said, ‘If I get another chance, I won’t let it slip.’”

Kansas City coach Andy Reid said while Oladokun hadn’t gotten many regular-season reps during practice until this week, the quarterback had been with the team long enough to know what he’s going.

“He looks forward to every week,” Reid said. “He prepares himself every week to go. So that’s been an easy transition as far as him with the verbiage and such. So he jumps in and gets it. …

“Pat’s a great example of how to go about it, and he’s watched him close, and he’s followed right in suit there.”

Oladokun said other than the extra work at practice, he’s tried to keep this week the same as any other in his NFL career.

“There’s a little more electricity just because I’m the guy actually going through it,” Oladokun said. “But in terms of preparation, my preparation hasn’t changed. I mean, it’s been the same for the last four years. I’ve taken my routine from guys like Chad Henne when I first got here my rookie year. Obviously, Pat, I sit next to him every single day and watch how he goes about his work. So I sort of just stay in my routine. That’s where I feel comfortable. And when they call that first group out there at practice, I’m not the one sitting there. I’m actually running out there.”

Oladokun said his family would spend the holiday with him at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I’ll have my little brother (cornerback Jordan Oladokun) that plays for the Chargers actually,” Chris Oladokun said. “He’s on the IR there. And then my little sister, her boyfriend, and then my mom and dad. So super fired up. It was a quick turnaround getting flights and stuff for them up here. Obviously, they didn’t think I’d be starting the Christmas game. So it’s pretty cool that they’ll be up here.”

The Broncos and Chiefs kick off at 7:15 p.m. CST Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Prime Video will televise the game.

At 12-3, Denver is driving toward the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs while ending the Chiefs’ nine-year hold on the AFC West crown.

“It’d be a great Christmas, that’s for sure,” Oladokun said about the possibility of Kansas City upending the Broncos. “It’d make the mood a lot lighter at home after the game. But we know we’re facing a great opponent in Denver, one of the best teams in the league right now, not only defensively, but offensively as well. So we’ve definitely got our hands full, and I feel like we got a good plan to go out there and spoil that on Christmas.”

Read the original article on al.com.