Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is down with what looks to be a severe injury. The Chiefs were fighting for their postseason lives against the Los Angeles Chargers. While KC fell short, a long-term injury to Mahomes is far more concerning.
Mahomes went down grabbing his left knee. The Chiefs later confirmed he suffered a torn ACL and is exploring surgical options.
Patrick Mahomes can’t even walk.
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) December 14, 2025
He was helped to the locker room, game has ended. Chiefs have been eliminated 💔 pic.twitter.com/MwMUPufiD3
Patrick Mahomes injury update: Where do the Chiefs turn without him?
With Mahomes to miss the rest of the season, the Chiefs have Gardner Minshew as a backup in training camp. Minshew has starting experience under his belt, which means the Chiefs still have a chance to win some games
Chiefs QB depth chart |
|---|
Patrick Mahomes |
Gardner Minshew |
Chris Oladokun (Practice squad) |
I am not taking a shot at Minshew when I say he is not the same player Mahomes is. KC is out of the running for the postseason anyways, so he doesn't need to be.
Why the Chiefs should punt on the 2025 season
The Chiefs ought to let the 2025 season go to waste. I mean, what in the world are they waiting for at this point? Sure, KC has Super Bowl talent, but they also possess a number of veterans on their last legs. If the Chiefs were to lose out – or come close to it – they'd receive a middle-of-the-pack draft selection as a result. Frankly, that could work in their favor with this class, considering they aren't in line to take a QB.
Where the Chiefs need help is on the offensive line. Mahomes injury should serve as further proof of that. Heck, this team has been searching for a starting left tackle for years! Nothing has worked.
Justin Carter's Chiefs mock draft is worth reading for many reasons. Carter projects the Chiefs to take Carnell take in the first round. Should he be available, Tate would be a great pick. I have a hard time believing Tate won't go sooner given his success at OSU this season.
NFL Draft round | Selection |
|---|---|
1 | WR, Carnell Tate |
2 | OT, Trevor Goosby |
3 | RB, Jadarian Price |
In the second round, Carter believes the Chiefs will take a tackle in Trevor Goosby of Texas. Here is Carter's reasoning.
"Mahomes is being pressured on 23.5 percent of dropbacks, on track for the highest pressure rate of his NFL career. He's already tied his career high for total scrambles with four games left to play. The Chiefs aren't giving him a pocket as clean as he's used to, and it's definitely disrupted some of the timing between Mahomes and his receivers. Adding a lineman in the second round is a low-risk way of bolstering this line and hopefully giving Mahomes more time to work in the pocket," Carter wrote.
I mean, that ought to be enough, right? If the greatest quarterback in the NFL doesn't have time to throw, he's done for.