The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams, scheduled for August 15. Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid has announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes is unlikely to play in the preseason as he recovers from the ACL tear he suffered in Week 15 of the previous season.

Reid expressed that the team is “leaning against” putting Mahomes on the field during the preseason games. “There’s a pretty good chance I don’t play him,” Reid mentioned, according to ProFootballTalk. “Percentages are leaning that way. I don’t know if I’ll play him the second or third game. I don’t know that, but the percentages likely lean against doing that,” he added. Reid emphasized the need for playing time to get new players in other positions used to the system, enhancing the team’s depth.

Among these players is Justin Fields, who joined the Chiefs as Mahomes’ backup quarterback after a recent offseason trade. Fields is in his first season with Kansas City. Garrett Nussmeier, a rookie chosen in the seventh round of the draft, also stands to gain from additional snaps in the preseason to adapt to the Chiefs’ playing style.

This focus on building experience extends beyond the opener against the Rams. Afterward, the Chiefs will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks in the subsequent preseason games. Their regular-season campaign kicks off on September 14 with a match against the Denver Broncos.