Patrick Mahomes’ season ends with torn ACL
Patrick Mahomes’ season, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ decade-long dominance in the NFL play-offs, came to a sudden and shattering end on Sunday night after confirmation that their quarterback has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, reports BritPanorama.
Following their defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs disclosed that an MRI scan had confirmed the torn ACL, marking the first serious injury in Mahomes’ nine-year professional career. The injury occurred late in the game, during a 16–13 home loss that eliminated Kansas City from post-season contention for the first time since 2014, despite three regular-season games remaining.
This defeat dropped the Chiefs to 6–8, concluding a challenging stretch of five losses in six games and raising concerns about the future of a franchise that has shaped the NFL landscape in recent years. Mahomes, 30, was injured while attempting a late game-tying drive, getting brought down awkwardly and immediately grasping his knee.
With Mahomes ruled out, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a critical interception with 20 seconds left, extinguishing any hopes of forcing overtime. In a message on social media later, Mahomes expressed his frustration, stating, “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.”
“Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options,” the team stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation for both the player and the franchise. The loss was particularly disheartening for the Chiefs, as they had held a 13–3 lead late in the second quarter before the Chargers surged back to victory.
This defeat marks the end of an extraordinary era under head coach Andy Reid, as Kansas City had achieved playoff appearances in 10 consecutive seasons since 2015, including five Super Bowl appearances and three victories in 2020, 2023, and 2024. Mahomes has been pivotal to this success, reaching at least the AFC Championship game in each of his first seven seasons as a starter.
The impact of Mahomes’ injury will reverberate beyond this season. With his recovery expected to dominate the off-season narrative, attention will likely also shift to veteran tight end Travis Kelce. Having spent a career with the Chiefs and with three Super Bowl victories under his belt, 36-year-old Kelce has indicated he will delay any retirement decision until the end of the current campaign.
For now, all eyes remain on Mahomes as he embarks on a challenging road to recovery. The Chiefs confront an unaccustomed winter devoid of playoff football and the extraordinary talent that has made their sustained success appear almost inevitable.
