Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered their worst nightmare against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. Late in the fourth quarter against Los Angeles, Mahomes tore his ACL after his knee buckled on a pass, ending his 2025 NFL season. It was a stunning development, as the Chiefs lost 16-13 to the Chargers.
Gardner Minshew, who hadn’t attempted a pass all season, replaced Mahomes at quarterback, but threw an interception in the closing moments. It was Kansas City’s eighth loss of the season, and it came at a horrible time. The Chiefs were shockingly eliminated from the 2025 NFL playoffs before Christmas.
Instead of focusing on why the Chiefs missed the playoffs, the talk will be about Mahomes’ injury. The Chiefs entered the season coming off a brutal loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, and now have to figure out what is ahead of them.
Patrick Mahomes is uncertain to start the 2026 NFL season
Mahomes tore his ACL on Sunday, December 14, so there are real questions about whether he will be able to start the 2026 NFL season on time. The Chiefs are currently unsure of the full extent of damage in Mahomes’ knee; however, there is a previous precedent that suggests he won’t miss much of 2026.
On November 22, 2020, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and meniscus. Burrow returned to the Bengals and played the entire 2021 NFL season, throwing for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. The superstar quarterback even led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.
The injury to Mahomes occurred roughly three weeks later than Burrow’s ACL in 2021, which might make a return to start the 2026 NFL season tricky. The three-time Super Bowl champion will almost certainly miss all of the offseason activities, but the question is whether he can heal in time for Week 1 in early September.
If not, the Chiefs must start planning contingency options, in what is likely going to be a brand new era of football for the organization.
What’s next for the Kansas City Chiefs?
With Mahomes’ season-ending injury, the Chiefs have to figure out what is next. If Mahomes is unable to start the 2026 NFL season, Kansas City must find a quarterback who keeps the team in the playoff picture. Minshew is going to be a free agent this offseason, so the team will have to acquire a veteran quarterback.
There are also questions about the Chiefs’ roster around Mahomes when he does return. Travis Kelce has been rumored to retire following the 2025 NFL season, meaning he has likely caught his last pass from Mahomes. However, would Kelce return to have one more season with the Chiefs after missing the playoffs?
The running game led by Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt has also struggled, leading to issues on offense. That doesn’t even include the problems at wide receiver, as Rashee Rice leads a room that has underperformed. Thankfully for Kansas City, it will be able to fix these issues in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As of Week 15, the Chiefs hold the 11th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mahomes might not return to start next season, but Kansas City would be wise to address the needs on offense with a potential top-10 pick. This feels like the end of the current era of Chiefs football, as the organization struggled during the 2025 NFL season. Mahomes will now focus on his recovery process, but the Chiefs have a busy offseason coming soon.
