On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired the 249th selection of the 2026 NFL Draft in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the television broadcast transitioned to “The Pick Is In,” there was little indication that the ninth-to-last player selected would merit significant fanfare.
However, the NFL Network telecast quickly transitioned to the podium in Pittsburgh as LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was announced as the newest Chief.
.@LSUfootball QB Garrett Nussmeier got emotional after getting drafted to the @Chiefs 🥹NFL Draft on NFLN/ESPN/ABCStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3EWBi8ShHI
Nussmeier — the son of former NFL quarterback and current New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier — was widely expected to hear his name in the draft’s first 100 picks. Entering his final season in Baton Rouge, he was considered one of the class’s best quarterbacks and had first-round buzz.
It was not meant to be. Nussmeier’s play fell off badly in 2025 as he battled abdominal pain. During the NFL Scouting Combine in March, doctors identified a cyst on Nussmeier’s spine as the root cause of the ailment. He appeared set to slip out of the draft over concerns from teams before Kansas City stopped the slide.
Nussmeier spoke briefly with local media after being selected. While the wait was longer than expected, he was more than happy with the landing spot working with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
“Obviously, it was difficult for me sitting there and not understanding why,” he remarked. “I have belief in myself and where I believe I should have been valued. But at the end of the day, I’m just grateful for the opportunity. I’ve said throughout this process—it’s not when, it’s where. I couldn’t be more blessed to go to such a great team and such a great organization.”
As the draft neared its conclusion, Nussmeier confirmed that he was speaking with interested teams about signing as an undrafted free agent before being delighted to see the Kansas City area code on his draft call. The Chiefs — who boast star quarterback Patrick Mahomes — unsurprisingly had little contact with Nussmeier’s camp throughout the draft process.
“It was pretty minimal,” Nussmeier recalled. “It’s kind of crazy how some teams do their work and like to hide who they like, and some like to show it. It’s a big chess match. I’m just so excited. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn and develop and be under a great coach and behind one of the best quarterbacks of all time.“
“I’m so excited to be in a room with those guys,” exclaimed Nussmeier. “Coach Reid with his unbelievable offensive mind, and sitting behind Patrick, learning from him, hopefully picking up things and seeing the game through his eyes. It’s going to be an incredible experience, and I’m really grateful.”
The Chiefs made a much more notable addition from LSU on the draft’s first night, when the organizatio aggressively traded up to the sixth overall selection to take cornerback Mansoor Delane.
“We got the best corner in the league—that’s all I know,” he declared of his now college and professional teammate. “Y’all are about to see.”