Who is Patrick Mahomes' backup, Blaine Gabbert? A look into his NFL career

Kansas City Chiefs backup QB Blaine Gabbert is a 12-year veteran in the NFL. The former first-round Draft pick has been in the league since 2011 when he was drafted tenth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars drafted Gabbert after a stellar college career at the University of Missouri. Gabbert was super impressive at the collegiate level, passing for 6,822 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. He earned a Second-team All-Big 12 nod during his time in Missouri.

After his time in college, Gabbert was picked first overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him and had plans to make him their franchise QB instantly. Gabbert was just that in his first two seasons in the NFL, starting in all but one of his NFL games in those years. However, due to niggling injuries, he lost his starting job in Year 3 and hasn't been a full-time NFL starter since then.

Gabbert was moved to the San Francisco 49ers after the 2013 NFL season; he was traded in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Gabbert lasted for three years in San Francisco, primarily acting as relief QB when Colin Kaepernick was out of action. He left the 49ers in 2017 after a mildly successful three-year stint.

After leaving the San Francisco 49ers, Blaine Gabbert started a journeyman spell of some sort. He spent one year as a backup in Arizona, going 2–3 in games that he started. After that, he joined the Tennessee Titans, playing in eight games and starting a paltry three of those games. Next up was a four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which culminated in his first Super Bowl game win in Super Bowl V. Gabbert was a backup for the GOAT, Tom Brady, in that game.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Blaine Gabbert inked a deal to join the Kansas City Chiefs to serve as Patrick Mahomes' backup for the season. He has acted as the Chiefs' relief QB ever since, taking snaps when the reigning MVP needs some rest.

Blaine Gabbert's contract details

Blaine Gabbert is currently signed to a minimum scale one-year contract worth $1,317,500 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Gabbert signed the deal after four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, primarily backing up Tom Brady. He will likely serve the same role in Kansas City, as Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs' undisputed starter at center.

Gabbert has had a decent NFL career, racking up career earnings of $27,281,851 during his thirteen-year NFL career. He made the most of his money through his rookie deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and these days, he serves as a backup to the league's best quarterbacks.