Gardner Minshew Injury Update: Chiefs Fear QB Tore ACL in Loss to Titans

Minshew may be lost for the season a week after Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew may have suffered a torn ACL on Sunday. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Chiefs may have lost another quarterback.

A week after Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL that cost him the rest of the 2025 season, his replacement may have done the same thing.

Gardner Minshew left the team’s matchup with the Titans on Sunday with a knee injury, and ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter is reporting that Kansas City believes the 29-year-old also tore his ACL. That would be a big blow to a team already struggling.

RELATED: Chiefs Updated QB Depth Chart: Who Is Up Next After Mahomes, Minshew Injuries?

The Chiefs were hammered by Tennessee 26-9 in their first week without Mahomes. The loss dropped them to 6-9 on the season. Their 28-year-old backup quarterback, Chris Oladokun, took over for Minshew and is likely to be the starter moving forward. He finished the game 11-of-16 for 111 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for seven yards on two carries.

The Chiefs may be facing the rest of the season without an experienced starting quarterback. They would currently have the 12th pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and that selection could go higher if they continue to lose.

Chris Oladokun career timeline

Oladokun started at South Dakota State in 2021 and threw for 3,164 yards, with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He completed 62.3% of his passes while leading the Jackrabbits to an 11-4 record. The Steelers selected him with the 241st pick in the 2022 draft, but released him a few months later on August 23.

The Chiefs picked Okladokun up on Aug. 31 and signed him to their practice squad. Since then, he has signed multiple deals with Kansas City and been waived a few times. He made his NFL debut in the final game of the 2024 season, taking five snaps.

Oladokun was waived as part of the team’s final roster cuts before the 2025 season, then signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on Saturday and took over for Minshew on Sunday. His first NFL completion went to Travis Kelce.

Given how long he has been with the team, it’s likely Oladokun is Kansas City’s starter for the rest of the season.

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