Patrick Mahomes suffers brutal knee injury as Chiefs are eliminated from playoff contention
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a left knee injury in the team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Mahomes was trying to pull off a comeback or at least a chance to tie the game at three points. He was rolling to his right when he was hit by a defender. It appeared that Mahomes hyperextended his knee as he fell to the ground.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) battles during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
He remained down for several moments before he was helped up. He was limping on the bench when Gardner Minshew II entered the game for him.
Mahomes finished the game 16 of 28 with 189 passing yards and one interception. He scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Minshew threw an interception on the final drive and the Chargers celebrated a 16-13 victory.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) battles during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, December 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Mahomes reacted to his injury in a post on X after the game.
{I don’t know why this had to happen,” he wrote. “And I’m not going to lie, it hurts. But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every day again and again. Thank you Chiefs Kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who reached out and sent prayers. “I will come back stronger than ever.”
Kansas City needed a victory to stay in the playoff race. With the loss added to the victories of the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs.
The Chiefs had reached the AFC Championship every year since 2018 and won the AFC West division nine years in a row.
Mahomes came into the game bruised and battered as Kansas City struggled all season. Between injuries and players sidelined for disciplinary reasons, the Chiefs had looked nothing like the Super Bowl contending team of the last five years.
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Losing Mahomes for an extended period would be the cherry on top of a brutal season.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor at News Digital.