Chiefs take QB Garrett Nussmeier in 7th round of NFL draft - ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Garrett Nussmeier, the former LSU quarterback, had to wait much longer than he expected to be selected in the NFL draft. But he did end Saturday celebrating after the Kansas City Chiefs used their final pick, No. 249, to take him in the seventh round.

«It was an unbelievable feeling,» Nussmeier said. «I felt like I was sitting there waiting forever. I couldn't have been more excited to see that [816] area code pop up.… It was difficult for me sitting there and not understanding why. Obviously, I have belief in myself and where I believe I should have been valued.

»I said throughout this entire process it's not when, it's where. I couldn't be more blessed to go to such a great team."

As a rookie, Nussmeier is expected to be the understudy to Patrick Mahomes. A few minutes after chatting with the Chiefs, Nussmeier expressed his excitement to be developed under coach Andy Reid.

«It's a great opportunity for me to learn,» Nussmeier said. «I'm just grateful that I have this opportunity. I can only imagine. I'm so excited to be in a room with those guys, coach Reid and his unbelievable offensive mind and sitting behind Patrick and steal some things from him and see the game through his eyes. It's going to be an unbelievable experience for me.»

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Nussmeier underwent tests at the NFL scouting combine in February that revealed a cyst on his spine, sources told NFL Network, which contributed to the oblique pain that plagued him during the 2025 season at LSU. Before the Senior Bowl, Nussmeier had been asymptomatic. He could have a procedure if that changes, which would keep him sidelined for just a few weeks to allow stitches to heal, according to NFL Network.

Much of Nussmeier's