KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are paying Chase Daniel more than $4 million in salary and bonuses this season, yet the backup quarterback has not taken a meaningful snap in a game. There’s an argument to be made that fact won’t change Sunday, when the Chiefs head to San Diego to play a game that can’t affect their playoff situation. Kansas City is already locked into the No. 5 seed and is merely waiting to find out who it will face the following weekend.

But there’s also an argument to be made that every snap Daniel takes — and it stands to reason there will be many — is very important. After winning their first nine games, the Chiefs have lost four of their last six. And any positive vibes that came with back-to-back wins over Washington and Oakland may have evaporated in a 23-7 rout last weekend by the Colts, a potential first-round playoff opponent.

So while most of the starters will likely sit out the majority of this one, it could be up to Daniel and a slew of backups to give Kansas City some momentum headed into the postseason.