Patrick Mahomes tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs announced, a season-ending injury that came in the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and eliminated Kansas City from playoff contention. The play occurred late in the fourth quarter as Mahomes rolled right and threw the ball away; he was replaced by backup Gardner Minshew, who later threw an interception. The defeat dropped Kansas City to 6-8 and, with wins by Buffalo, Houston and Jacksonville, mathematically ended the Chiefs’ postseason hopes. Mahomes said he will focus on recovery and expressed confidence about returning stronger.
Key Takeaways
- Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on Sunday and will miss the remainder of the 2023 regular season.
- The injury occurred during Kansas City’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers; the Chiefs fell to 6-8 and were eliminated from playoff contention the same day.
- Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew finished the game and threw an interception a few plays after replacing Mahomes.
- Mahomes completed 57.1% of his passes for 189 yards in the game, with no touchdown passes and a fourth-quarter interception that proved costly.
- This season Mahomes posted an 89.6 passer rating and a 62.7% completion percentage, his lowest marks since he became a starter in 2018.
- Last season Mahomes and the Chiefs were 12-0 in one-score games; in 2023 the Chiefs are 1-7 in one-score contests, a swing that contributed to missing the playoffs.
- Mahomes, 30, is in year four of a 10-year, $450 million extension signed in 2020 and remains under contract through 2031.
Background
The Chiefs entered the 2023 stretch aiming to defend long-standing divisional dominance: Kansas City had won the AFC West every year since 2015 and had reached the AFC championship game regularly with Mahomes as the starter. Expectations remained high after Mahomes led the team to a fifth Super Bowl appearance in six seasons in the prior year, but the 2023 campaign saw persistent inconsistency. Offensive production flagged at times and the team lost a disproportionate number of close games, eroding the margin for error late in the schedule. Those trends set a precarious stage for the late-season run when a major injury to the franchise quarterback would carry outsized consequences.
Mahomes became the Chiefs’ starter in 2018 and has since been central to Kansas City’s identity and success, both on the field and commercially. His contract, a 10-year extension worth $450 million inked in 2020, runs through the 2031 season and underscores the long-term investment the franchise has made in him. NFL teams generally prepare contingency plans for quarterback injuries, but losing a player of Mahomes’ caliber alters roster construction, playcalling, and short-term expectations. For coaches, front offices and fans, the timing—late in the season with playoff hopes still mathematically alive until Sunday—compounds the impact.
Main Event
The play that ended Mahomes’ season happened with under two minutes remaining in a one-possession game. Rolling to his right to escape pressure, Mahomes attempted to throw the ball away but suffered a knee injury on the motion and exited immediately. Medical evaluation confirmed a torn ACL in the left knee, and the team announced the diagnosis later that day. The substitution sequence put Gardner Minshew into live action; he completed some passes but threw an interception a few plays after entering, which helped preserve the Chargers’ narrow lead.
The 16-13 final score was shaped by a combination of stalled drives and missed opportunities for Kansas City, including the lack of a passing touchdown from Mahomes and a fourth-quarter interception. Statistically, Mahomes finished the game with a 57.1% completion rate for 189 yards. Those numbers mirrored a season of uneven play: Mahomes’ passer rating (89.6) and completion percentage (62.7%) were the lowest of his starting career, reflecting both team factors and individual struggles over the year.
When the league’s standings were updated Sunday night, concurrent wins by the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars eliminated Kansas City from postseason contention. The combination of the defeat and the other results closed the door on the Chiefs’ playoff hopes, making the ACL a season-ending blow not only to Mahomes’ campaign but to the team’s immediate ambitions. The medical staff and team personnel began outlining next steps for surgery and rehabilitation, though precise scheduling was not finalized publicly at the time of the announcement.
Analysis & Implications
Short term, Kansas City must pivot to contingency plans for the final three regular-season games and address quarterback availability for 2024. Gardner Minshew will step up as the active starter, and the team will weigh whether to adjust the playbook toward his strengths or continue with Mahomes-era concepts to preserve continuity. The loss of Mahomes complicates roster decisions at the trade deadline and into the offseason, as teams often reassess draft and free-agent priorities when a long-term starter is suddenly unavailable.
From a competitive standpoint, the injury amplifies the consequences of the Chiefs’ 1-7 record in one-score games this season. Historically, Mahomes and Kansas City have relied on late-game execution to close tight contests; that advantage evaporated in 2023 and contributed materially to missing the playoffs. Ownership and the coaching staff will likely review situational strategy, roster depth and injury prevention protocols during the offseason to mitigate similar swings.
Financial and contract implications are mostly structural: Mahomes’ deal runs through 2031, giving the franchise contractual stability even during an extended recovery. Insurance, salary-cap planning and potential roster insurance moves (for example, promoting or acquiring an experienced backup) will be factors the front office considers. On the league level, the injury to a marquee player could shift broadcast narratives, draft evaluations and offseason market dynamics as teams reassess the AFC landscape heading into 2024.
Comparison & Data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Game result (Decisive loss) | Chiefs 13, Chargers 16 |
| Mahomes game completion rate | 57.1% (189 yards) |
| Mahomes 2023 passer rating | 89.6 |
| Mahomes 2023 completion percentage | 62.7% |
| One-score games record (2022 vs 2023) | 2022: 12-0; 2023: 1-7 |
The table above isolates the immediate-game statistics and season-level indicators that contextualize how pivotal this injury is. The contrast between 2022’s 12-0 one-score game record and 2023’s 1-7 mark illustrates a dramatic shift in close-game outcomes that preceded the injury. Those metrics help explain why a single physical setback to the franchise quarterback precipitated an abrupt end to Kansas City’s playoff trajectory.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials and the player provided succinct public reactions after the diagnosis and game:
“Patrick Mahomes tore the ACL in his left knee, the team announced; he will miss the remainder of the season.”
Kansas City Chiefs (team announcement)
The team announcement framed the medical finding and immediate roster consequences; it did not provide a detailed rehab timeline at the time.
“I will be back stronger than ever,” Mahomes wrote, thanking supporters and pledging to focus on recovery.
Patrick Mahomes (X)
Mahomes’ message combined gratitude and resolve, a common tone for elite athletes facing major injury, and it signaled a commitment to rehabilitation rather than speculation about long-term outcomes.
Unconfirmed
- The precise date and location of Mahomes’ surgery had not been released publicly at the time of the team announcement.
- Any exact timetable for Mahomes’ return to on-field practice or a target return date for 2024 is unconfirmed and will depend on surgical and rehab progress.
- Specific roster moves the Chiefs will make to support the quarterback position for the remainder of this season were not finalized publicly.
Bottom Line
Patrick Mahomes’ left ACL tear ends his 2023 season and removes the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ offense during a stretch that already exposed team vulnerabilities in close games. The injury converted a single-game medical event into a franchise-level turning point because it coincided with a loss that mathematically eliminated the Chiefs from the playoffs. Short-term, Kansas City must adapt its offensive game plan around Gardner Minshew and evaluate roster depth while medical staff outline the recovery plan for Mahomes.
Longer-term implications will unfold over the offseason: the Chiefs will reassess personnel priorities, injury-prevention protocols and situational strategy that failed to preserve narrow leads this year. For Mahomes, the contract and organizational support provide structural stability, but the physical and performance recovery process will determine when—and how—he returns to the level that helped define Kansas City’s recent era of success. Fans, league observers and the team will watch rehabilitation milestones closely as the franchise plans for 2024.
Sources
- NBC News — national news report summarizing game details and the team announcement.
- Kansas City Chiefs — official team site (team announcement and organizational statements).