Patrick Mahomes suffers torn ACL, Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention

Mahomes suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, a loss that ended the Chiefs' streak of 10 consecutive playoff appearances.

Patrick Mahomes exited Sunday's game with a knee injury and, shortly after, the Kansas City Chiefs' decade-long postseason streak came to an end.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said after the loss that the injury "didn't look good," and the Chiefs later confirmed that the two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl champ suffered a torn ACL.

The Chiefs were trailing 16-13 with just under two minutes to go when Mahomes scrambled toward the Kansas City sideline, threw the ball away and was spun to the ground by Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand.

Mahomes planted his left left awkwardly and his knee appeared to hyperextend. He remained down on the field in pain while being tended to by the team's medical staff. He was helped off the field, putting some weight on his leg, and entered the blue medical tent before being helped back to the locker room.

"Don’t know why this had to happen," Mahomes posted on social media. "And not going to lie it’s hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever."

Mahomes - who threw for just 189 yards and an interception on Sunday - was replaced by backup Gardner Minshew with just under two minutes remaining and the Chiefs needing a field goal to even the score and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Minshew got the Chiefs into field-goal range with some short completions before being intercepted by Derwin James on a second-down play at the Chargers 39-yard-line with 14 seconds remaining.

“I hate the situation. I hate that I couldn’t deliver the win and keep our hopes alive,” Minshew told reporters after the game.

The Chiefs dropped to 6-8 on the season.

The loss, along with wins by Jacksonville, Buffalo and Houston, eliminated the defending AFC champs from playoff contention.

That officially snapped their 10-season streak of reaching the playoffs, which was the second longest in league history behind only the New England Patriots from 2009 to 2019.

Mahomes, drafted in 2017, will miss the playoffs for the first time in his career.