Silver And Black Pride
Patrick Mahomes is one of the greatest and most accomplished players ever to play in the AFC West. His knee injury is a massive factor in the division now and into next year.
Let’s look how it affects the Las Vegas Raiders.
Week 18 is very winnable:
The downgrade from Mahomes to Gardner Minshew is massive. Yet, it will be Minshew who leads the Chiefs into Allegiant Stadium in Week 18 as the team tries to remain unbeaten in Las Vegas. The Chiefs, like the Raiders, have been eliminated from playoff contention and they have nothing to play for in this game. The Raiders could be in position to get the No. 1 overall draft pick with a loss in the game. The absence of Mahomes greatly increase the Raiders’ chances in that game, which scares some fans to death.
It could affect part of 2026 season:
The fact that Mahomes’ suffered this serious injury so late in the season, means his availability for the start of next season is in major question. The season starts in just nine months and that would be the best-case scenario timelines for Mahomes. The reality is he could miss a month or two of the season. The Raiders may play Kansas City twice with Mahomes because of this injury.
Broncos, Chargers are better equipped to take advantage in 2026:
Because Mahomes may miss a chink of time next year, the Chiefs’ chances of losing the division two years in a row after winning it for nine straight seasons is real. That’s a break for the rest of the division. But the reality is, no matter how much the Raiders can improve in the offseason, both the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers are in much better position to take advantage than the Raiders are.
Conclusion:
This is a major story that will affect a lot, but Mahomes will be back and he will be a factor in the division and the the entire league for the next decade are sp. But, for now, there is a huge shift in the division.
