Report: Chiefs sign QB Shane Buechele as Gardner Minshew lands on IR

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew (17) leaves the field during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. Minshew suffered a calf injury early in the game.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed quarterback Shane Buechele from the Buffalo Bills practice squad and quarterback Gardner Minshew was placed on season-ending injured reserve, according to multiple reports Monday.

The Chiefs had reportedly been concerned Minshew suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but the injury appears to be a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture, “basically a very bad bone bruise,” according to NFL Network.

Buechele, 27, will need to pass a physical but is headed to the Chiefs, where he started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of SMU following the 2021 NFL Draft.

He was on the Chiefs’ practice squad for most of the 2021 season and on the active roster for the 2022 season but didn’t play. Since being waived by Kansas City in August of 2023, Buechele has been with Buffalo’s practice squad.

Minshew left the game in Nashville in the second quarter with a left knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

It is the second consecutive week a Chiefs quarterback went down with a knee injury after Patrick Mahomes was injured late in last week’s 16-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes was later diagnosed with two torn ligaments in his left knee.

Minshew was injured on a scramble during Kansas City’s first possession and limped off the field but returned to play the team’s next three possessions. When the Chiefs got the ball at their 36 with 11:39 left in the half, Chris Oladokun replaced Minshew.

Oladokun, who has been on Kansas City’s practice squad the last two years, led a scoring drive that culminated in Harrison Butker’s 54-yard field goal for a 3-2 lead with 7:40 remaining in the half. He finished 11 of 16 for 111 yards and had two carries for 7 yards.