Gardner Minshew Shares ‘Fired Up’ Texts He Exchanged with Patrick Mahomes

Gardner Minshew is ready to rock.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ backup quarterback, 29, voiced his excitement ahead of his first game in the starting role, when he’ll take over for an injured Patrick Mahomes.

“It’s an opportunity to step in and do my job. There are a lot of guys that put a ton of work into this and I owe it to them, I owe it to the coaching staff, this team, this fanbase to go out there and do my best to give us the best chance to win,” Minshew said at a press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Then, Minshew — who is in his eighth NFL season and first with the Chiefs — was asked about his communication with Mahomes, who underwent a successful surgery on his left knee on Monday, one day after tearing his ACL.

“Texted,” Minshew confirmed when asked if he’s spoken to the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback. “He’s been great, man. As soon as he’s been figuring everything out, he’s been texting the QB room. Very positive, trying to get the guys fired up, getting everybody ready to go.”

“That dude still wants us to win,” Minshew made clear of Mahomes. “That’s what he care about, and it’s awesome that we have a leader like that.”

When asked if he feels comfortable texting the veteran Chiefs QB and asking him questions, Minshew — who’s established himself as a reliable backup quarterback since his selection in the 2019 NFL Draft — confirmed he does, but is sensitive to Mahomes’ situation.

“Yeah, absolutely. He’s awesome, man,” he said. “But he’s got a lot going on there, so you know, just want to make sure he’s good having gone through surgery and stuff… I think he’ll be back towards the end of the week, and we’ll all be ready to go.”

The Dec. 21 matchup against the Tennessee Titans will mark Minshew’s first start for the Chiefs.

It won’t be his first time seeing the field; however, last stepping in for Mahomes after he got injured in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs-Chargers matchup. His outing ended with an interception, which halted the Chiefs’ hopes of securing a spot in the playoffs.

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In a post-game interview, Minshew spoke about filling in for the injured playmaker, and praised the quarterback for his drive and dedication to the sport, and his team.

“I don’t think I’ve ever respected anybody I play with more. I’ve never seen anybody I play with give so much of themselves to the team. And to not get the results is hard,” he said. “I have more confidence in him than anybody to come back and be better than ever.”

“He’s the best,” Minshew added.

Kansas City Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder spoke with reporters on Dec. 18 about Mahomes’ rehab progress after knee surgery.

“In the past with Patrick and his injuries, he attacks them and does very well, and he’s in that mode right now,” said Burkholder during the press conference.

He also shared a timeline for Mahomes’ recovery.

“Every player is different, every sport is different, every position is different, and with him, traditionally, he’s going after it so hard, and he’s so in tune with what he does, he does it a little quicker. Ballpark on this thing is nine months,” he added.

This season marks the first time in a decade that the Chiefs won’t make the playoffs. But they still have three games remaining in the regular season, starting with the Titans on Sunday.