Earlier this season, many blasted the Cleveland Browns for never giving first-team reps to their QB3, Shedeur Sanders. Initially, fans even defended Sanders’ poor performances by pointing to his lack of reps with the starters. This led many to wonder whether Kansas City Chiefs practice squad quarterback Chris Oladokun received first-team reps before his NFL debut on Christmas.
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Overall, for a third-stringer, Oladokun had a solid debut against the Denver Broncos. He threw for just 66 passing yards and posted a QBR of 44.3. But he took care of the ball with zero turnovers and moved the offense downfield at times. He also showcased his dual-threat playmaking ability.
According to Travis Kelce, Oladokun barely received any first-team reps leading up to the game. Kelce, however, has caught passes from Oladokun throughout the year. The tight end also made time throughout the week to get an even better feel for how the ball was coming out of the quarterback’s hands.
“I’m a busy body at practice, I like to get some work in. So, during defensive period, things like that, I’m usually around all the quarterbacks. So, it wasn’t the first time I’d ever caught a pass from him. I’d at least seen it come out of his hands,” Kelce revealed on New Heights, adding,
“And throughout the week, I worked with him enough. To where it wasn’t surprising seeing the ball come out of his hands.”
Kelce ended up becoming Oladokun’s favorite target during the game. Kelce finished with 5 receptions for 36 yards, with his longest catch being for 14 yards.
Later on, the tight end raved about Oladokun’s potential as a QB.
“He throws a good ball… On top of that, he’s a gamer. He’s going to go out there, and he’s going to have some fun. I call it the Chris O experience, baby. The Oladokun experience. You don’t know what’s going to happen. He’s got that exciting playmaking ability.”
At the end of the game, Oladokun finished with just 68 total yards. But he kept the Chiefs in the game into the fourth quarter. It was an impressive performance by an inexperienced quarterback without several key players, against one of the best defenses in the league.
However, when compared to Shedeur’s situation, it really shows us why Andy Reid is considered one of the best coaches in the league. Instead of standing idly by and hoping Oladokun would figure things out, Reid worked Oladokun into the first-team rotation throughout the week. When game time arrived, players like Kelce already had a feel for some of Oladokun’s tendencies.
Contrast this with Shedeur, who was reportedly given zero first-team reps for most of the season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski instead allocated those reps to Dillon Gabriel. Once Gabriel was injured and Shedeur was thrust into action, the quarterback looked like he was trying to tread water. He had almost no chemistry with his receivers, and it showed.
Shedeur later acknowledged the lack of first-team reps and admitted they may have contributed to his early struggles. He has remained positive about his opportunity and has been serviceable since. He even led his side to a win against the Steelers last week.
Still, it is hard to believe that Oladokun entered his debut with more first-team reps than Shedeur did as a QB3 coming up from the practice squad.
