Chiefs Superstar Patrick Mahomes Suffers Injury on Awkward Tackle vs. Chargers

Patrick Mahomes was attempting to lead the Chiefs to a comeback win over the Chargers on Sunday when the superstar quarterback went down with an injury.

Dropping back to pass after the two-minute warning, Mahomes scrambled to the right sideline and got tackled by Los Angeles defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand as he threw the ball away. It was awkward, however, and Mahomes appeared to twist his knee as he fell. He remained down on the ground after the whistle sounded and appeared to be in great pain.

With their season on the line, Patrick Mahomes goes down with an apparent knee injury. Walks off with assistance.

Gardner Minshew is in as the Chiefs look to tie the game late. pic.twitter.com/xn5ta8XLoc
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 14, 2025

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game that Mahomes will soon be undergoing an MRI on his left knee and said of the injury that it "didn't look good."

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a left knee injury late in the loss to the #Chargers, will have an MRI to determine the security. Coach Andy Reid said it “didn’t look good.” And given where KC is in the season, extreme caution will be used. pic.twitter.com/WSmRPEYmtX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 14, 2025

His teammates were obviously devastated and took a knee around Mahomes as he laid on the ground, visibly hurting.

Players looking on as Mahomes is down in pain pic.twitter.com/f4dnUbi61e
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 14, 2025

The MVP quarterback was on the Chiefs’ injury list battling a knee issue in the week leading up to Sunday’s contest. He was helped off the field by trainers before putting a towel over his head and heading to the locker room.

Mahomes being helped off into the locker room pic.twitter.com/jrOG1qHL23
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 14, 2025

Mahomes, 30, has gone through his most difficult year in the NFL yet. Entering Sunday the Chiefs were 6-7 and Mahomes had 3,398 yards to go with 22 touchdowns and 10 picks. Kansas City is on the brink of playoff elimination and the team was furiously trying to save its season when Mahomes got hurt. Unfortunately backup Gardner Minshew couldn’t get the job done when he subbed in to replace Mahomes and threw a game-ending interception. The Chiefs lost the game and will miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

An awful sight. The Chiefs and the rest of the NFL hope Mahomes’s injury isn’t serious.

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