In losing another close game, this time 16-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers, the bigger story will be Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury. He gave it his all, but he couldn’t overcome the injuries up front or the stagnant offense. Ultimately, Kansas City’s season ends early, but the Chargers deserve recognition.
There is so much I want to say as I write the Chiefs post-game report. I’m upset with the organization for leaving Patrick Mahomes out to dry. He carried them for seven seasons, with three Super Bowl wins and five AFC Title victories. In the end, the Kansas City team fell apart after starting the season 0-2, and they haven’t been able to catch up since.
We can blame Head Coach Andy Reid for most of it, but his coaching staff never adjusted, changed tactics, or pushed the man with 51% of the company to think about doing things differently.
Because of that, the Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time in ten years, and now they fear the worst: that Mahomes might have torn his ACL, which means he won’t play football until Week Ten next season.
That means another losing season, likely delaying Mahomes’ return until the 2027 season. Of course, we are all waiting for the MRI, but from the reports coming out of the locker room, it doesn’t sound promising.
Mahomes will have an MRI later tonight or tomorrow morning. Until then, we wait together, hoping for a Christmas miracle—he can return for the season opener.
On the field, Kansas City held a 13-3 lead, but they allowed a late touchdown by the Chargers in the first half and scored no more points in the game. Mahomes was scrambling for his life until his luck ran out on the Chiefs’ final drive.
Gardner Minshew replaced Mahomes after his injury, but he was intercepted, ending the Chiefs’ slim playoff chances.
Still, credit goes to Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert. Together, they fought hard, stayed focused, and deflated the Chiefs’ momentum. Their defense was aggressive, blitzing Mahomes and forcing the Super Bowl-winning quarterback to take risks.
The box score shows this was another close call for the Chiefs, but as mentioned earlier, Reid never gave his quarterback a real chance. He kept running the same plays that have been at the heart of five losses in the last six games.
Yes, Reid is now the issue, and although he won’t be fired, if Mahomes is sidelined for most of next season, it might be time to bring in a new coaching staff, use the top draft pick to find some game-changing players, and rebuild the team in 2026.
I never thought I’d say this, but age has caught up with Reid, and without a fresh approach, I’m not sure he’s the man to lead the Chiefs’ re-birth in 2026 or 2027.
The off-season begins now, and this team, which is $34 million under the salary cap, must negotiate new contracts with Mahomes and Chris Jones to be aggressive in free agency. Furthermore, they’ll need a decision from Travis Kelce about playing another year. With his upcoming wedding to Taylor Swift, I’d imagine he’d consider the Mahomes injury very carefully when deciding whether to keep playing.
Remember, the Chiefs only have five draft picks, but if the season ended today, they would have the 11th pick in the first round.
On the positive side, the Chiefs ended one of the most incredible runs in NFL history, and at some point, it had to come to an end. What they do next to get back to the Super Bowl will be heavily scrutinized, and they will need to make tough decisions to avoid sticking with the status quo.
