The Kansas City Chiefs’ streak in reaching the playoffs came to an end after losing to the LA Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium in a tight contest, missing out for the first time since 2014.

The Chiefs’ woes worsened late in the fourth quarter after Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes landed awkwardly after being tackled and struggled to stand up immediately. Kansas City later confirmed that he tore his ACL. Mahomes will now miss out on the rest of the season and will require surgery.

“It didn’t look good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged post-match. The Chiefs also released an update on the injury.

“An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.”

KC, while showing signs of poor execution and inconsistent plays in the past few weeks, began the game well, scoring the first touchdown and leading 13-3 until the Chargers made a late comeback in the third quarter.

The last quarter saw the Chargers challenge the Chiefs, with their defence and offence staying consistent. Despite the Chiefs’ star QB not being on the field, the Chiefs relied on backup QB Gardner Minshew, who came on for the last few minutes of the match and threw some accurate, consistent throws.

But KC’s slim hopes for a comeback win ended when Minshew’s throw to WR Travis Kelce was intercepted with only a few seconds remaining by Chargers safety Derwin James Jr to seal the game.

For the Chiefs, who have been the dominant team in the NFL for the past five-plus years, it has been a disappointing season so far. They will be eager to end the season with a few wins and have a solid preseason for a more solid 2026.

Featured Image: Kansas City fan Art displayed in Kansas City. Photo by  Roy Harryman  https://www.flickr.com/photos/royharryman/53511010136/   Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.