KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – The Kansas City Chiefs’ season came to a devastating close Sunday in a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that not only eliminated them from playoff contention but also ended with Patrick Mahomes suffering a torn ACL in his left knee. The defining moments unfolded in the final two minutes at Arrowhead Stadium, as Mahomes was helped off the field with a towel draped over his head, and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew’s last-ditch pass was intercepted by Derwin James to seal the Chargers’ victory. Mahomes was injured while scrambling toward the sideline and attempting to throw the ball away, only to be spun down by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand. He immediately clutched his knee, and the concern was evident. Shortly afterward, the team confirmed an MRI revealed a torn ACL, and Mahomes acknowledged the setback publicly, expressing pain and frustration while emphasizing his resolve to lean on faith and focus on recovery. The injury marked a grim ending for a season that unraveled far earlier than expected for Kansas City.
On the field, the Chargers earned the win with a resilient second-half comeback led by Justin Herbert, who played through a broken left hand. Kansas City controlled much of the first half, opening the game with a methodical touchdown drive capped by Mahomes’ 12-yard run and adding field goals to build a 13-3 lead late in the second quarter. Momentum shifted just before halftime, when Herbert engineered a quick drive that ended with KeAndre Lambert-Smith’s first career touchdown, cutting the deficit to three. Los Angeles carried that energy into the second half, tying the game on Cameron Dicker’s opening-drive field goal and then taking the lead on a 49-yard kick late in the third quarter amid bitter cold and gusting winds. The Chiefs had chances to respond, but injuries along the offensive line and familiar red-zone struggles resurfaced, including a costly interception at the goal line. After Mahomes exited, Minshew briefly sparked hope with a string of completions before James’ interception ended it. The victory lifted the Chargers to 10-4, kept them perfect within the division, and reinforced their status as a playoff contender, while the Chiefs fell to 6-8 and were left facing the remainder of the season without their franchise quarterback and with the postseason officially out of reach.
