While the Kansas City Chiefs were eliminated on Sunday from NFL postseason competition, the team’s concerns turned toward the health of starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Late in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at home, Mahomes went down with a left knee injury. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II came on with less than two minutes left in the game while Kansas City was driving for a potential game-tying field goal.
What Does Chiefs QB Depth Chart Look Like?
Unfortunately, Minshew threw an interception, which ended the ballgame and dashed the Chiefs’ playoff dreams. He was unable to fill the void of Mahomes, who according to the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics, has an impact score of 77.6 and grades out to a C+
After the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes would undergo an MRI to discern the severity of his injury. But Reid said it “didn’t look good,” according to a post on X from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a left knee injury late in the loss to the #Chargers, will have an MRI to determine the security. Coach Andy Reid said it “didn’t look good.” And given where KC is in the season, extreme caution will be used. pic.twitter.com/WSmRPEYmtX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 14, 2025
A couple of hours after the game, the Chiefs officially announced that Mahomes had torn his ACL. “An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game,” the Chiefs wrote on X. “Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.”
So, what does the Chiefs’ depth chart look like at quarterback? Minshew is the backup. On the Chiefs’ practice squad, the team has Chris Oladokun, whom they could sign to the main roster. Oladokun was a seventh-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of South Dakota State in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Minshew originally was a sixth-round draft pick out of Washington State by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2019 NFL Draft. Minshew has been the true definition of a journeyman quarterback in the NFL. After playing two seasons for the Jaguars, Minshew then played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, and Las Vegas Raiders before joining the Chiefs this season.
Minshew comes with excitement because he plays a fun style, but he hasn’t had 18+ points in a start since Week 15 of 2023 with the Colts.
That said, he’s dropped back 45+ times in each of his last two starts and averages 39 per start for his career. The quality may not be there, but the quantity could be by way of this KC system, should it work in a pass-centric style with him under center.
At this point, it doesn’t appear that the Chiefs will sign a veteran, as they have already been eliminated from the playoffs. While losing games is never good, a couple more losses for the Chiefs will put them in a good position in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
