How Chiefs Tried to Fill Leadership Void Without Mahomes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It was a play that really epitomized the Chiefs’ enigmatic season, first-and-11 from their own 2-yard line.

Potentially Gardner Minshew’s final snap in a Chiefs uniform, it cost Kansas City two points.

Watch Chris Jones discuss below...

Game-wrecker Jeffery Simmons swam through a Tennessee-sized hole on the left side of Kansas City’s line and dropped Kareem Hunt in the end zone for a Titans safety.

Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith generally let their actions speak for themselves. But on the sideline after the play, their vocal wrath was directed at rookie left tackle Esa Pole.

“Wake the f--- up! Let’s go,” Smith could be seen yelling at Pole, who apparently missed an assignment.

hunt simmon — Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) tackles Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (29) for a safety during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Rookie mistake

Instead of blocking down on Simmons, Pole turned away from the Pro Bowler and pass blocked Jihad Ward, leaving Hunt exposed in the middle of the end zone.

“Yeah, it's our job to be leaders,” Humphrey said. “We've been here a while. We played a lot of ball here. So, it's our job to be leaders.”

Afterward, Andy Reid noticed Smith and Humphrey stepping in to fill the leadership void created by Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending knee injury.

“Yeah, I thought they did a good job with that,” Reid explained. “We had a mistake there that needed corrected, and they got to it before the coaches got to it, even before we get them off the field. That's all part of it.”

chris oladoku — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) is sacked during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mahomes in contact

Mahomes tried to be as much a part of it as possible. Unable to travel with the team so soon after Monday surgery to repair the ACL and LCL in his left knee, Mahomes still exchanged texts with Minshew before the game.

And afterward, when Chris Oladokun walked into the locker room and picked up his phone, Mahomes had already reached out.

“He was the first text I saw,” said Oladokun, who took over midway through the second quarter and finished the game. “Just that's the type of guy he is. We've gotten gone pretty close over the last four years. I don't have a big brother, so in a way, he’s taken over like a big brother. Not only on the field and in my development, but also off the field.

"He's a great friend and he's like that with everyone. There's not a bad thing I can say about him.”

Reid said the practice week showed a lot of players filling the leadership role, but the team made too many errors on Sunday. In addition to missed assignments, Kansas City also committed 10 penalties.

pollar — Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) is stopped by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton (8) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“You expect other people to step up and go,” he said. “And I thought I saw that this week, guys trying to step in and raising it up a little. But it wasn't good enough.

“You have to eliminate these mistakes. That's a biggest thing in a game like this.”

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