Hard Ending for the Chiefs and Mahomes, No Comeback Possible

Summary:

• Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL late in a one-score loss that knocked the Kansas City Chiefs out of the playoffs.
• The Chiefs will miss the postseason for the first time since Mahomes became the starter.
• Big offseason questions loom, from roster gaps to how the team rebounds without its star quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes gave the Chiefs everything he had, right up until his left knee gave out late in a loss that ended Kansas City’s season.

There would be no last-second rescue, no impossible comeback, no familiar escape act at Arrowhead Stadium. This time, even Mahomes could not bend the game to his will.

The injury was ugly. His knee buckled awkwardly, and he stayed down as trainers rushed over. Teammates dropped to one knee nearby.
The stadium, so used to roaring through chaos, went quiet. The Chiefs still needed a drive to force a tying field goal or steal a win. But the player who has made those moments routine could not get back up and finish it.

Mahomes had already done more than his share. He scored Kansas City’s only touchdown in the 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and, for long stretches, was also the team’s leading rusher. That has been part of the issue all season.

Too often, everything runs through him. He may not win MVP this year, but without him, the Chiefs are a very different team.

Reid: “It Doesn’t Look Good”

Moments after the game, Andy Reid offered little optimism. “It doesn’t look good”, Reid said.

The Chiefs later confirmed the fear that swept through the building, as Mahomes suffered a torn ACL. In the team’s statement, they added, “Patrick and the club are exploring surgical options”

That reality landed hard. This is the first time Kansas City will miss the AFC playoffs since Mahomes became the starter. It is also the franchise’s first NFL season with at least eight losses since 2012, the year before Reid arrived.

With Mahomes at quarterback, the Chiefs won three Super Bowls, reached two more, and turned sustained excellence into the norm in a league built to prevent it.

Mahomes was initially seen limping to the bench under his own power, yet another proof of his defining toughness. However, minutes later, cameras caught a harsher reality, as he was supported on both sides to make it down the tunnel to the locker room.

In his absence, the ending felt inevitable. Backup Gardner Minshew stepped in and briefly moved the offense, then a delay of game stalled momentum. The next throw toward Travis Kelce sailed into heavy coverage and was intercepted. No miracle followed.

Now the questions pile up. The Chiefs finished 1-7 in one-score games after going 12-0 in those situations a year ago. The run game remains shaky. The pass rush lacks bite. Kelce has already pondered retirement once.

Mahomes will rehab, and when he returns, he will still be the foundation. However, this means that, for the first time in years, nothing about Kansas City’s future feels automatic. The cape is gone, at least for now, and the offseason ahead will be longer than anyone in Chiefs Kingdom is used to.

With the Chiefs out of the running to make it to the Super Bowl for the fourth year in a row – who will be the teams in the running this time? Get the best odds from US Sportsbooks ahead of Super Bowl LX