Blaine Gabbert to make first NFL start since 2018 as playoff-bound Chiefs face Chargers

Sunday might be an opportunity to gauge how devoted Taylor Swift is as a football fan.

One of the few pressing questions going into the AFC West matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers is whether the megastar entertainer decides to take in the regular-season finale at SoFi Stadium, where she performed six sold-out shows on her Eras Tour in late July and early August.

If Swift shows up, she might see something resembling a preseason game — with boyfriend Travis Kelce on the sideline.

With the Chiefs (10-6) locked into the third seed for the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes won't get a chance until next season to see if he can get his ninth win in 11 starts against the Chargers. Blaine Gabbert will be making his first start since 2018, when he was with the Tennessee Titans.

This will be the 49th start for Gabbert, who has played for six teams in 12 seasons.

Gabbert said he doesn't expect many changes with him running the offense.

“We run coach (Andy) Reid’s offense, and ultimately, that’s what we’re going to run. Every quarterback is different, every quarterback does things differently, some things better than others et cetera, et cetera,” Gabbert said. "We’re just going to run our offense. Hopefully throw to the open guy, run the ball well and score some points.”

Along with Mahomes, the Chiefs could rest several other key players, and potentially cost them some significant milestones.

Kelce needs 16 receiving yards to extend his club record and the NFL record for a tight end with his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Wide receiver Rashee Rice needs 58 yards receiving to break Dwayne Bowe’s franchise rookie record. And defensive tackle Chris Jones needs a half-sack to trigger a $1.25 million bonus for reaching 10 on the season.

Reid will not be sitting all of his starters, and he knows there are some meaningful numbers at stake.

“It depends on what the milestone is. We’ll see how all that goes," Reid said.

The Chargers (5-11) have dropped four straight and seven of their last eight. They are locked into a top-eight draft pick while they search for a new coach and general manager. Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were fired on Dec. 15.

In the midst of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the Bolts would like to end on a winning note for interim coach Giff Smith.

“The motivation to get ready for this game is not an issue. You have seen these last two games, these guys have come out and played hard. We just have to find a way to get over the hump," Smith said. "As far as anything personal goes, that’s kind of irrelevant to me right now. I want to do right by these guys and the organization and go out there and beat Kansas City.”

STICKING WITH IT

Easton Stick is looking for his first win as a starting quarterback. The fifth-year player, who took over when Justin Herbert broke his right index finger during the second quarter against Denver on Dec. 10, was unable to get the Chargers into the end zone in last week's 16-9 loss to the Broncos. On the bright side, Stick hasn't committed a turnover the last two weeks.

Stick had three giveaways in his first start at Las Vegas on Dec. 14. He has completed 68% of his passes with three touchdowns and an interception.

“You do this because you want to play, you want to compete, and that’s what you miss when you’re not in there," Stick said. "It’s been a blast, every minute of it — the ups and downs. It’s been awesome. Like I said, I’m really grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to ending it the right way.”

THE OTHER BACKUP

Gabbert is a known quantity, but his backup for the game, Chris Oladokun, is hardly a household name. He played at South Florida and Samford before ending his college career at South Dakota State, and was a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2022 draft. Oladokun was released in August, signed with Kansas City and has been on the Chiefs' practice squad ever since.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker was voted the AFC special teams player of the week after going 6 for 6 on field goals to match a career best in last week’s 25-17 win over the Bengals. Butker scored 18 straight points, allowing Kansas City to rally from an early deficit and clinch its eighth consecutive division title.

DIVISION WOES

One of the priorities for the Chargers' new coach and GM should be improving the team's performance in the division. The Bolts are an AFC West-worst 23-42 since 2013, when Telesco was hired. The Chiefs are 50-15 against division opponents that span, which encompasses Reid's entire tenure.

Los Angeles has dropped four straight in AFC West games, is on an eight-game losing streak on the road and hasn't defeated the Chiefs on its home field since 2013. That includes games in San Diego, both of the Chargers’ venues in Los Angeles and a 2019 game in Mexico City where they were the home team.

___

AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl