Week 15 didn’t just take away Kansas City’s hopes for the playoffs. It also took away the elite quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. After being tackled late in the game, Mahomes tore his ACL and underwent surgery. Although the Chiefs are out of playoff contention, three games still remain. And that reality forces Kansas City to confront its most pressing question: Who will take over at quarterback?

Head coach Andy Reid addressed that decision in the aftermath of the loss. “I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner [Minshew],” he said to the media on December 15. “Our guys have confidence in him. Chris Oladokun, behind him, will work up there. Chris has been with us for a while, too. Those are two guys our guys trust and will play hard for.”

With that, Reid confirmed that the Chiefs are not exploring the market just yet.

So, the next three weeks could be an audition for Minshew, who is their veteran backup. He could utilize this time to show his skills, considering Mahomes has always dodged severe injuries for major parts of his career. The Chiefs never really needed a backup, as Mahomes has missed just two games previously due to injury in his entire career.

It happened in 2019 while he was attempting a quarterback sneak. He dislocated his right kneecap and missed two games. That was the longest absence of his career, but he came back later that season. And he pushed his team to their first Super Bowl victory in five decades!

However, this time, his injury isn’t something the Chiefs can recover from easily. It’s his first ACL tear, and he might require a long recovery period.

The team will likely depend on Minshew until Mahomes is back.

Minshew had finished out the loss to the LA Chargers on Sunday. The signal-caller completed three straight passes before an interception on a throw to tight end Travis Kelce ended the game.

As for Mahomes’ health, it isn’t certain whether he’ll recover by the 2026 NFL regular season. But that’s in the distant future. For now, the Chiefs are strategizing internally, which seems sensible since they have already lost the season.

Until an update on the gravity of Mahomes’ injury is revealed, the Chiefs have to finish the season, regardless of where.

Patrick Mahomes plans to come back stronger

The latest update on the two-time NFL MVP’s injury is that he underwent successful surgery Monday night in Dallas to repair the tear in his left ACL, the team announced. However, more than his injury, Mahomes is upset about the brutal playoff elimination his team had to endure.

It’s an unprecedented defeat, but that doesn’t mean he has lost hope. After not being able to address the media post-game, Mahomes released his statement on X.

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“Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie, it hurts. But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.

“Thank you, Chiefs kingdom, for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I will be back stronger than ever.”

Mahomes’ time away from the field will now be defined by rehab and reflection, with plenty of film to revisit from a season that unraveled even before his injury. Long-standing issues ultimately caught up with Kansas City. Adding to the uncertainty is the looming question at tight end, where the future becomes far less certain if Travis Kelce ultimately chooses to walk away.