Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said last week that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would probably sit out the team's first preseason game and he gave a more emphatic answer about Mahomes's status on Thursday.
Reid said at a press conference that Mahomes will not play against the Rams. Reid previously said that he did not know if Mahomes will play at all in the preseason, but he did not offer any definitive answers about the team's final two games on Thursday.
Keeping Mahomes on the bench is a departure from how the Chiefs have typically handled preseason work in past years, but the quarterback's recovery from a torn ACL dictated a change to the usual routine.
Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier, and Chris Oladokun will handle the quarterback work for the Chiefs this weekend.