In the NFL, no team is ever truly prepared for the loss of their franchise cornerstone. Coaches and executives can talk about the “next man up” philosophy all they want, but when that man is Patrick Mahomes, the math simply doesn’t add up. For the first time since November 2019, the Kansas City Chiefs took the field without the one of the most durable quarterbacks in the league, a man who hadn’t missed a start since securing his first ring.
The result was a sobering 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, a squad that had been among the league’s worst this year. It was a career-defining performance for first-overall pick Cam Ward, who led Tennessee to its third win of the season and snapped a dismal 11-game home losing streak in a game that became non-competitive almost instantly. Ward finished with a career-high completion rate of 75%, two touchdowns, and 228 yards.
Mahomes’ dependence was evident in the Chiefs’ worst defeat
The misfortune for Kansas City only deepened as the second quarter began. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew went down with a season-ending ACL tear, forcing the Chiefs to hand the keys to Chris Oladokun. Recently promoted from the practice squad, Oladokun was thrust into only his second career game with virtually no first-team reps. Despite the circumstances, head coach Andy Reid was supportive, noting that Oladokun did a “nice job” for what he was asked to do. He finished 11-of-16 for 111 yards and is now slated to make his first career start on Christmas night against the Broncos.
However, blaming the third-stringer would be a mistake. Even when Minshew was in, the Chiefs appeared listless on both sides of the ball, suffering from a clear “post-Mahomes” psychological slump. This collapse has exposed just how much this roster relied on Mahomes to mask its deficiencies.
While every great run hits a wall, save perhaps for Tom Brady’s unprecedented longevity, this “down year” provides the front office with a brutal but necessary blueprint for the offseason. The dynasty isn’t dead, but the supporting cast needs a significant overhaul to ensure that once Mahomes returns, they are ready to reclaim their spot at the top of the AFC.
Chiefs Playing for Honor and the Travis Kelce Question
Before this injury-riddled spiral, the Chiefs were on a historic trajectory. They are only the fourth team in NFL history to reach three consecutive Super Bowls (joining Miami, Buffalo, and New England) and the only team to appear in five over a six-season span. Mahomes himself was playing at an elite level, tracking toward statistics that rivaled his 2022 MVP run. Now, with only two games left and their playoff hopes extinguished, the team is playing for nothing but pride. Andy Reid now faces a delicate balancing act with his starters.
It is widely expected that the Christmas night game against the Denver Broncos will be the final appearance for most of the veterans this season, as the team will likely opt for rest in the finale. This brings a bittersweet layer to the holiday matchup: could this be the final time we see Travis Kelce on an NFL field? With retirement rumors swirling and the Mahomes era hitting its first real hiatus, the atmosphere at Arrowhead this Christmas will be one of reflection as much as competition.
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