The Kansas City Chiefs‘ dynasty just hit a wall nobody saw coming. They’ve lost their franchise quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, for the rest of the season with an ACL tear. The playoffs are out of the picture. And for the first time since 2014, the Chiefs are irrelevant in December. And for star tight end Travis Kelce, that brings a responsibility that he wasn’t looking forward to at the start of this season. He’s now the last man standing who remembers what losing feels like.

“It’s kind of unfamiliar territory at this point for a lot of guys in the building,” Kelce said on the latest edition of the New Heights podcast. “I’m the only one that’s been on the team long enough to see us not make the playoffs or to play a game that didn’t have a future.”

What stings the most about this is that Kelce isn’t some grizzled veteran happy to play mentor. He’d rather be preparing for another playoff run. Instead, he now has to guide a locker room full of stars who’ve only known dominance through their first taste of December football that doesn’t matter for their season.

This weight sits heavily on Travis. Kansas City hasn’t missed the postseason since before Patrick Mahomes arrived. That 10-year playoff streak, second longest in NFL history, ended with a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.

“It’s obviously f***** up, but it’s a new feeling,” Kelce continued. “So all I know is to go out there and play my a** off and to show up and give my guys the best chance to win. And I think that’s the mentality, man.”

This mentality will get tested immediately. Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans looms as a credibility game. No playoff implications, just pride and professionalism when the cameras stop caring. But Kelce isn’t backing down from anything.

“If there’s a game to be had, I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to love f****** playing in it,” Kelce declared. “No matter if it’s a game that’s in the playoffs or gets us in the playoffs or a game that seems like it doesn’t have any implications of that. And that’s the integrity you got to f****** go out there with.”

That’s pure Travis Kelce. The same fire that fueled three Super Bowl runs now channeled into keeping a sinking ship afloat. And with Mahomes sidelined for the season after his injury, Kelce’s leadership becomes even more critical. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew finds himself under center, with a reality check that the Chiefs will watch January football from their homes.

Gardner Minshew gets the keys to the franchise

When Jason Kelce brought up Mahomes’ devastating injury on the podcast, Travis pivoted to the journeyman backup who must somehow replace the irreplaceable. “Gardner went out there and battled his a** off,” Jason noted about Minshew leading the team after Mahomes left the field, a sentiment with which Travis agreed.

“You know Gardner is going to do that,” Travis noted. “That’s just how he’s built, man. And we’re going to f****** fight for him from here on out and go out there and try to win some ball games with my guy G.”

Minshew hasn’t started since he was rolling with the Indianapolis Colts. He came off the bench against the Chargers and immediately threw an interception to seal Kansas City’s elimination. Not exactly a fairy-tale entrance. But Minshew remains the only quarterback behind Mahomes by design. His experience helps his case, and with a week of prep, he might just be ready to shine. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed Minshew will start the final three games, saying simply, “He’s played before, so he understands the role.”

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The Titans’ defense won’t make it easy either. “They got guys on that defensive line that can wreck a game,” Travis noted. He also called out defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons specifically and addressed what they have to do. “We’re going to have to find ways to be able to slow him down and make our guy Gardner get comfortable back there. And from there, it’s just mastering the game plan and getting out there and getting after it.”

As for Mahomes, the timeline looks brutal. ACL recovery typically takes eight to nine months. But his surgery has gone well, and the three-time Super Bowl champ will attack rehab like everything else. Until Mahomes returns, it’s Minshew’s show to run. For now, Week 16 against the Titans will show us how he leads the team when the lights dim.