By JAKE NISSE, US SPORTS WRITER
Published: 14:15 EDT, 7 August 2025 | Updated: 14:15 EDT, 7 August 2025
Some star quarterbacks do not participate in the preseason, but that won't be the case for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs this weekend.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid has confirmed that he is planning to play Mahomes for the first quarter of the team's preseason opener against the Cardinals on Saturday.
In fact, Reid said that each of the team's four quarterbacks would feature for a quarter during the game at State Farm Stadium.
Kansas City has passers Gardner Minshew, Bailey Zappe and Chris Oladokun on the depth chart behind Mahomes.
It remains to be seen if Mahomes actually plays an entire quarter versus Arizona, as one fan pointed out how Reid has said the same thing the previous two preseasons - only for Mahomes to be sat down after just one series.
However, even playing just one series represents a risk for Mahomes and the Chiefs, as there have been plenty of high-profile preseason injuries over the years.
Patrick Mahomes will play the first quarter of the Chiefs' preseason opener, Andy Reid said
Mahomes is seen before a preseason game against the Jaguars last year
Fellow quarterbacks Michael Vick and Tony Romo suffered serious preseason injuries during their playing careers, while Mahomes' teammate, receiver Hollywood Brown, dislocated his sternoclavicular joint last summer - forcing him to miss most of the regular season.
Regardless, Mahomes will be looking to hit the ground running this season following the team's blowout loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, the quarterback expressed that he needs to improve following a down year by his standards.
'There's stuff we've got to get better at. Especially myself,' he told USA TODAY Sports.
'There's plays on the football field that I didn't make last year, that I've made in previous years. At the end of the day, I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, whether that's passing for a lot of yards, not passing for a lot of yards. But I think if I play better, that's going to make it better for the team.
'So, I've got to be better at executing whenever the shots are there, making those throws. Because that's going to alleviate pressure on our defense and make them play more free and make the team play more free.'
For the first time since he became a starter in 2018, Mahomes failed to top 4,000 passing yards, and his 26 passing scores were his fewest since 2019.
The Chiefs will face the league's 11th-toughest schedule as they look to get back to the Super Bowl.
Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs