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Patrick Mahomes injury update: Chiefs QB goes down in pain, exits game limping vs. Chargers

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones12/14/25brianjones_93

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered an injury late in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The injury happened with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand brought down Mahomes, and it appeared the star QB’s left knee buckled.

Patrick Mahomes was on the ground for a few minutes, and the training staff helped him to the locker room. Gardner Minshew came in to replace Mahomes, and he threw an interception, which led to a 16-13 victory for the Chargers. The Chiefs are now eliminated from playoff contention.

Kansas City is hoping that Mahomes didn’t suffer a serious injury, but it’s likely the three-time Super Bowl champion will not play the rest of the season since the team is eliminated from playoff contention. Mahomes struggled to get anything going on Sunday, finishing his day with 189 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception in the loss.

After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in February, the Chiefs were looking to reach the championship game for the fourth consecutive year. Kansas City has struggled to find any consistency all season, as the team lost the first two games of the year and is now on a three-game losing streak.

Looking at Patrick Mahomes’ 2025 season

Mahomes, for the most part, has looked solid this season, but he has not looked like what fans saw in 2022 when he won his second MVP. Entering Sunday’s game, Mahomes has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,398 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a 91.2 passer rating.

This will be the first time Mahomes misses the playoffs since becoming the starter in 2018. The 29-year-old has led the Chiefs to at least the AFC Championship game every season he has been the starting QB. During that run, Mahomes has played in seven conference title games and five Super Bowls.

With the Chiefs out of the playoff picture, who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl? The top two teams in the conference are the Denver Broncos with an 11-2 record and the New England Patriots, who sit at 11-3. The Chargers (10-4) and Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) are also in a position to make a Super Bowl run.