Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs saw their season unravel in painful fashion in Week 15. Late in a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes left the game with a right knee injury, and moments later the Chiefs were officially eliminated from playoff contention, bringing a shocking end to a run that had defined the franchise for the past decade.
Patrick Mahomes Injures Knee Late in Fourth Quarter
Mahomes suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter when Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand tackled him from behind and rolled up on his right leg. Mahomes immediately grabbed his knee and stayed down as Kansas City’s medical staff rushed to evaluate him on the sideline.
The quarterback eventually stood up but appeared unable to put full weight on the leg as he hobbled to the bench. He was taken to the blue medical tent for further evaluation before being assisted into the locker room by two Chiefs staffers, as seen in an X post from the NFL on CBS.
Mahomes exited the game with less than two minutes remaining and did not return. The Chiefs did not immediately provide an update on his condition.
Veteran backup Gardner Minshew replaced Mahomes for the final snaps. Minshew completed 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards, but his late interception to Chargers safety Derwin James with 14 seconds remaining sealed the loss and officially ended Kansas City’s postseason hopes.
The Chiefs did not immediately provide an update on Mahomes’ condition. He exited the game with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter and did not return.
Chiefs Eliminated From Playoffs as Questions Mount
The defeat was another close call for Kansas City. After thriving in tight games a year ago, the Chiefs couldn’t recreate that magic this season. In 2024, they went 11-0 in one-score games, an NFL record. This year, late miscues, missed chances, and minor breakdowns added up, leaving Kansas City on the losing end of those same nail-biters — including Sunday’s loss to the Chargers.
Kansas City entered the season hoping to become just the second team in the Super Bowl era to reach the title game for a fourth consecutive year. Instead, the Chiefs failed to reach the postseason for the first time since Patrick Mahomes became the starter, ending a 10-year playoff streak.
With the season officially over, attention has shifted to what comes next — especially for the Mahomes-to-Travis Kelce connection that defined the franchise’s dominance. Following the Chiefs’ loss to the Houston Texans on Dec. 7, Mahomes addressed the growing speculation about Kelce’s retirement.
“Every season I’ve had with him these last few years, I try to cherish because you never know,” Mahomes said, acknowledging the uncertainty ahead.
Mahomes made it clear that Kelce’s future remains his own decision. “He got himself in great shape this year, and he’s played great football,” the quarterback added. “He’ll have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season, but I know one thing: He’ll give everything he has for the rest of this season.”
Kelce, a 13-year NFL veteran and now in the final year of his contract, has said he plans to decide on his future before NFL free agency begins. “I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity,” Kelce told ESPN. “All that will be at the end of the season. I won’t be thinking about it until then.”
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