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The Kansas City Chiefs’ remarkable run of postseason success came to an end on Sunday, as a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers officially eliminated the team from playoff contention. For the first time since 2014, Kansas City will not participate in the postseason, ending a 10-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances — the second-longest in NFL history. Along with this, the team’s nine-year streak of AFC West titles and seven-year run of making the AFC Championship Game with Patrick Mahomes as the starting quarterback have also ended.
The game itself was a microcosm of the challenges the Chiefs faced on the field in 2025. Kansas City was leading 13-3 before conceding the final 13 points to Los Angeles. Mahomes, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards with one interception and no touchdowns, left the game late after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee. It will be the first time in Mahomes’ career as a starter that he will miss the playoffs and the first time he will not play in the AFC Championship Game. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew entered for the final drive but threw an interception, ratifying the setback and the end of the Chiefs’ playoff hopes.
The loss, coupled with wins by the Buffalo Bills over the New England Patriots, the Jacksonville Jaguars against the New York Jets, and the Houston Texans over the Arizona Cardinals, mathematically determined Kansas City’s fate.
The news was particularly shocking for defensive tackle Chris Jones, who discovered the team’s elimination during the postgame press conference.
Initially unaware of the official playoff status, Jones expressed hope, saying, “We still have a fighting chance,” but he hesitated mid-sentence, picking up on the tension in the room, which led him to ask:
“Are we out of the playoffs?” The reply was an unmistakable yes, which led to a solemn “Ok” response from Jones.
#Chiefs DT Chris Jones found out in his postgame press conference that KC was eliminated from the playoffs:
“We still have a fighting chance. Are we out of the playoffs? We are? Ok…”
( @KWCH12)pic.twitter.com/WBiQfZE1PK https://t.co/Lacm5F7aae
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 15, 2025
This season has been full of bumps in the road for the Chiefs. They couldn’t come through in clutch situations, losing 7 of 8 one-score games after going unbeaten in those same matchups in the previous season. Injuries and lackluster play up front and at receiver made matters worse, and for the first time since 2015, Kansas City missed out on the AFC West.
For players like Mahomes, Jones, three-time Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, linebacker Nick Bolton, and defensive end George Karlaftis, the postseason absence heralds a historic first in their careers. Over the last decade, the Chiefs had been a fixture in January, reaching three straight Super Bowls and winning three championships.
Entering Week 15, the Chiefs held a 6-7 record. After Sunday’s defeat, they fell to 6-8 with three remaining games on the...
