It’s the end of an era in Kansas City — sort of. For the first time in 10 years, the NFL playoffs won’t include the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have played in three straight Super Bowls (five of the last six overall), seven straight conference championship games, and won the AFC West for nine years in a row. Yet all those streaks have officially come to an end with three weeks left to play in the regular season.
It’ll be the first time Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has missed the playoffs in his professional career. Mahomes entered the league in 2017 and since taking over as the Chiefs’ starter in 2018, he’s hosted the AFC Championship Game every season. That’s a ludicrous, almost unheard of level of sustained success. But that streak, too, has now come to an end.
Entering the day, the Chiefs needed four things to happen to be eliminated from playoff contention. They lost to the Chargers, 16-13. The Jaguars beat the Jets (48-20), the Texans beat the Cardinals (40-20), and the Bills went into Foxborough and upset the Patriots, 35-31. With those results going final, the Chiefs will be staying home in January.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Leaves Game Late with Apparent Knee Injury
GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – DECEMBER 14: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts to evade Tuli Tuipulotu #45 of the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
We’re still waiting on official word from the team about the specifics of Mahomes’ injury. He came into the Chargers game with a banged-up left knee that was not 100 percent. Mahomes was listed on Kansas City’s injury report this week with a knee injury, though he was a full participant in practice all week and did not have a game designation.
However, late in the game, Mahomes appeared to re-injure his knee. On the Chiefs’ final drive, Mahomes was scrambling, attempting to find a receiver downfield. He was brought down by a Chargers defender as he threw the ball and stepped awkwardly, appearing to hyperextend his left knee.
We don’t want to speculate on what the injury could be or what it will mean for Mahomes’ health and availability moving forward. But it’s another tough blow in a game that did not go Kansas City’s way — a bit of a microcosm of their season as a whole.
Where Do the Kansas City Chiefs Go from Here?
For a franchise with the best quarterback in the game today and a Super Bowl winning head coach at the peak of his powers, questions like these weren’t supposed to come up just yet.
But the Chiefs lost seven one-score games in 2025 after going 11-0 last season, and now questions abound. Can Kansas City finally fix their offensive line? Can they give WR Rashee Rice some help in the receiving corps? Can the Chiefs create an effective ground game?
And now Mahomes’ injury adds additional complications. Expect a busy offseason for the Chiefs upcoming.
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