The Kansas City Chiefs made a surprise quarterback pick during the third and final day of the NFL Draft as Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from a gruesome knee injury.
General manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid used their No. 249 pick in the seventh round to acquire LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Many considered 24-year-old Nussmeier a first-round pick before last season but he had to wait and watch nine other quarterbacks get selected ahead of him this week.
Nussmeier had a difficult final year with the Tigers in Baton Rouge. He struggled with injuries as LSU finished 7-6.
During the NFL Combine, tests revealed a cyst on Nussmeier’s spine was the cause of persistent oblique pain that ruined his season. He’s now asymptomatic and doctors say there is no short or long-term risk to his health.
But acquiring Nussmeier comes with the Chiefs facing a quarterback dilemma going into the new NFL season after Mahomes suffered a knee injury on December 14.
The Chiefs used their No. 249 pick in the seventh round to acquire LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
Nussmeier was emotional after watching a number of quarterbacks get picked before him
The three-time Super Bowl champion was present for the start of the Chiefs’ offseason program this week, which was another important milestone as the two-time NFL MVP tries to recover from torn knee ligaments in time for the beginning of next season.
Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in the final minutes of a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, which effectively eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.
He soon had surgery in Dallas with noted orthopedist Dr. Dan Cooper, and the rehabilitation began almost immediately back in Kansas City, where he has been working all offseason.
‘So he goes to the meetings. He can lift, do all that. Rehab. That’s the phase he’s in right now,’ Reid said this week.
‘We’ll just see. Kind of play it by ear. See where he’s at. He’s doing great, but we’ve just got to be smart with this thing.’
Mahomes previously told local reporters that ‘that’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions.’
The Chiefs last month added some insurance should Mahomes need a couple of extra weeks, sending the New York Jets a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft for Justin Fields. They also picked up $7million of his guaranteed $10m salary.
The 27-year-old Fields signed a two-year, $40m deal – with $30m guaranteed – with the Jets last March, and he was the starter for most of the season until getting benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor in Week 12.
It remains to be seen whether Patrick Mahomes will be ready to start for the Chiefs next season
Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in the final minutes of a loss to the Chargers
He didn’t play another game for the Jets, ending the season by being placed on injured reserve in late December with a knee injury.
Still, Fields is an experienced starter in the NFL, and he is expected to at least give the Chiefs a chance to win should he need to start any games.
The Chiefs traded up in the first round on Thursday night to draft highly-rated LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. They later added defensive tackle Peter Woods from Clemson in round one.
R Mason Thomas, Jadon Canady, Emmett Johnson, Cyrus Allen will also be reporting for Chiefs duty after being picked across Friday and Saturday.
