Jordan Ta’amu made waves with his play in the XFL and now is getting attention in the NFL.
Jordan Ta’amu was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason after playing five games with the St. Louis BattleHawks. Ta’amu was in the top three in passing yards with 1050 and threw five touchdowns to two interceptions. He also was top ten in the league in rushing with 217 yards and one touchdown.
Ta’amu was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes as the starter. He will be facing off against Matt Moore and Chad Henne for the backup role. Since Mahomes was injured for two games last season, it’s likely the team will career three quarterbacks on the roster. Ta’amu will be going for one of those spots and seems to be on his way.
Comments on Ta’amu’s Play By Chiefs
Members of the Kansas City Chiefs have praised Ta’amu’s performance in training camp. One of them happens to be the head coach of the team. Andy Reid spoke to the media earlier in the week complimenting the young quarterback’s play so far.
“Tough time to come in as a quarterback, in a year like this,” said Reid, ”but Jordan’s worked his tail off. It’s evident to all of us that he has spent the time working. We have a lot of words that are calculated in these plays that you have to be able to spit out in a short period of time and he does that well. Then, he’s strong.
He’s a strong body and he has a strong mind, and that normally leads to good things. Now, how many reps is he going to get during this time? We’re short on practices for the year—these first five practices, we’re short on time, period, on the field—so he might not get as much time as we ramp up here. But his time will come down the road, but I sure love his attitude.”
Despite Henne being one of Ta’amu’s biggest competitions in camp, the veteran quarterback couldn’t help but compliment his performance as well.
“Jordan, he’s been phenomenal,” Henne said. “He’s a young, talented guy. He was in the XFL and had some experience there. He came in and he’s willing to learn. He’s done some really great things. Today was a good opportunity for him to go out there doing the scout team for the defense. He did a really nice job. He’s just going to keep learning, picking our brains each and every day, but he has a great upside.”
Why Ta’amu Will Earn A Roster Spot
One thing that the NFL has seen is how Mahomes has been able to use his mobility to create some of the most memorable plays in the last two seasons. While Ta’amu has some work to do, his skill set is very similar.
The problem with Henne and Moore is they are both pocket quarterbacks who don’t use their feet. Ta’amu’s biggest strength is using his feet to get out of trouble. Granted, he won’t put up the numbers Mahomes will, but he’s the perfect quarterback for the system.
There is a chance the team will keep him on as a practice squad player. He’s already being used to act like Deshaun Watson for the Chiefs’ season opener against the Houston Texans. Ta’amu could be asked to do that plenty of times.
The risk the Chiefs run in making him a practice squad player is another NFL team could sign him. His playmaking skill set is too valuable to run that risk. Kansas City should consider keeping him on the active roster to groom him to be Mahomes’ backup for the next few years.
