It looked bad when it occurred, but definitive news wasn’t expected quite this soon. The Chiefs have officially announced that star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. His season has come to an end because the team explores surgical options.
That is unprecedented territory the 30-year-old quarterback. Mahomes has rattling near been an ironman since entering the NFL. He has only ever missed two games with injury. After only appearing in a single game of his rookie season behind starter Alex Smith, Mahomes’ next absences occurred over a two-week stretch in 2019, when he dislocated his patella. After that, the one games Mahomes missed were the ultimate regular season contests in 2020, 2023, and 2024 as he rested for the playoffs in each campaign.
The injury occurred today as Mahomes was rolling out right for a pass and, after releasing it, was tripped up by Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand. The 2-time MVP immediately grabbed at his knee and didn’t return to the sport. After the loss, head coach Andy Reid told reporters what he knew, that Mahomes had “injured his left knee and can get an MRI either tonight or tomorrow morning,” per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. Asked concerning the degree of severity, Reid told the media, “I don’t know. It didn’t look good.”
About 90 minutes later, Mahomes himself took to X with a message. He told fans that he didn’t “know why this needed to occur” and that “it hurts.” He ended his message with an ominous promise, saying, “I shall be back stronger than ever,” insinuating that an absence was to come back. About half an hour later, the team account delivered the outcomes of the MRI that did, the truth is, happen tonight.
Following Mahomes’ early exit, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew entered only his third game this season and did so, for the primary time, not in garbage time. In truth, Kansas City was trailing when Mahomes exited, and Minshew didn’t bring the team back. The Chiefs would go on to lose their third game in a row, and adding insult to injury, the team was officially eliminated from playoff contention, consequently. That is the primary time Kansas City won’t take part in the postseason since 2014, three years before Mahomes was drafted.
With nothing left to play for, Minshew will likely take Kansas City the remaining of the best way. Practice squad passer Chris Oladokun stands a robust probability at taking Mahomes’ spot on the 53-man roster as Minshew’s backup. Mahomes, though, will proceed exploring surgical options with the team as they start the long road back to what they hope shall be a return in 2026.
The Chiefs have been in a position to count on Mahomes’ durability since his stratospheric 2018 debut, gliding to seven straight AFC championship games for the reason that 2017 first-rounder debuted because the starter. Matt Moore was in place as his backup in the course of the 2019 season — one which ended the franchise’s then-50-year Super Bowl drought. Moore was brought in for the ’19 season because of a Chad Henne injury, but Henne became needed when Mahomes suffered a concussion within the 2020 divisional round. Mahomes then played the 2022 playoffs with a high ankle sprain, needing to go away a divisional-round game for a brief period in the primary half. The long run Hall of Fame QB also suffered an ankle injury late last season but didn’t miss any time.
Kansas City has toggled through backups since Henne’s February 2023 retirement, moving from Blaine Gabbert to Carson Wentz to Minshew. Dropped after one season because the Raiders’ primary starter, Minshew signed with the Chiefs on a one-year, $1.17MM deal. The Raiders are still footing a number of the bill after giving him a two-year, $25MM contract in 2024. Minshew may have a three-game audition, as a possible 2026 raise — from the Chiefs or one other team — shall be in play.
As for the Chiefs, they were trending toward missing the playoffs with Mahomes. That represents a shocking development based on their finishes with the Missouri icon on the controls. Entering the season seventh in scoring defense, the team didn’t have issues comparable to the 2024 Bengals or the Saints during their absences amid Drew Brees‘ prime. While the Chiefs held the Chargers to 16 points, a Mahomes INT denied a possible go-ahead fourth-quarter drive. His injury occurred soon after, signaling a voyage into uncharted waters for Kansas City.
Kansas City’s defense didn’t quite meet its level of recent seasons, though, cutting right into a bounce-back Mahomes slate. The ninth-year passer ends his season fifth in QBR, closing the campaign with 22 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and three,587 passing yards.
Mahomes’ MRI will help shape his timetable. More damage being discovered potentially would put the PUP list in play to open the 2026 season. The Chiefs will obviously hope for a Week 1 return; their 2026 backup search shall be more vital no matter when Mahomes is anticipated back, nevertheless.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.