The rest of the NFL let the Chiefs get a ridiculous draft steal originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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There are 31 fanbases in the NFL who are tired of the Kansas City Chiefs winning, which likely made the 2025 season feel particularly sweet everywhere outside of Arrowhead Stadium.
Except then the rest of the league allowed the Chiefs to get an incredible steal in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s the kind of outcome that will only make things harder for everyone that doesn’t play their football in Kansas City.
Instead of anyone drafted LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the first 248 picks, they let the Chiefs get him at 249.
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Nussmeier had been viewed as potentially the No. 3 QB in the draft, but instead he was the 10th and final one taken.
“Nussmeier’s fall was one of the draft’s biggest surprises, as there were scouts who thought he could be this year’s QB3,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote as part of a new article on Thursday. “Nussmeier is a daring anticipatory passer who plays in rhythm and makes a lot of jaw-dropping throws when protected. That type of mentality translates well into an Andy Reid offense that will require him to make downfield throws and squeeze passes consistently over the middle of the field.”
The one downside for Nussmeier on a personal level is that he likely will never be the starting quarterback for the Chiefs. That’ll be Patrick Mahomes for a long time still.
But could Nussmeier eventually become the backup and turn those appearances into an opportunity elsewhere in the NFL? Of course he could.
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In the meantime, he’ll get to learn from Mahomes and Andy Reid. It doesn’t get much better than that.
“Those lessons, and a yearlong plan to improve his skills and strengthen his body, should allow Nussmeier to be in the mix to be Mahomes’ backup in 2027,” ESPN’s Nate Taylor wrote on Thursday.
Maybe Nussmeier becomes something notable, maybe not. But the NFL certainly didn’t have to leave him on the board until the Chiefs late in the seventh round.
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