The Kansas City Chiefs’ injury-plagued season reached another low point Sunday with a 26–9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, a game that underscored just how depleted the roster has become.
Kansas City entered the matchup relying on its third quarterback, protected by backup offensive tackles, and missing a starting guard along with an important wide receiver. Under those circumstances, it was almost surprising the Chiefs managed to score at all.
The loss marked the team’s fourth straight defeat — something that hasn’t happened since 2017 — and dropped head coach Andy Reid to a 6–9 record. That guarantees his first losing season in Kansas City since he took over following the disastrous 2012 campaign.
“No one enjoys losing,” Reid said after the game. “The guys who built this program over the years deserve a lot of credit. We have to learn from moments like this and move forward. Sometimes a tough setback can be a wake-up call.”
It was difficult to find much encouragement in what unfolded against Tennessee.
The trouble began when backup quarterback Gardner Minshew injured his knee, coming just one week after Patrick Mahomes suffered torn ligaments in his own knee. Chris Oladokun showed some flashes after being pressed into action, but the offense struggled throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Titans’ win over the defending AFC champions may have hurt their chances of securing the top overall pick in April’s draft.
Kansas City, meanwhile, isn’t far from that conversation either if losses continue — though no one inside the locker room is thinking that way.
The Chiefs still have opportunities to impact the playoff picture, starting with a Christmas night game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Denver Broncos. They’ll close the season with a trip to Las Vegas to face the Raiders, another chance to spoil things for a divisional rival.
“Our focus is just going 1–0,” linebacker Nick Bolton said. “There’s no big message — just play football like we did as kids. We’re lucky to play this game, and we can’t lose sight of that, no matter how tough things look from the outside. Gratitude and humility matter.”
What’s working
The effort. Despite the circumstances, the Chiefs played hard for all four quarters and never quit.
What needs improvement
Health. Kansas City’s training room has been busier than the practice field.
Over the last three weeks, Mahomes has been placed on injured reserve along with left tackle Josh Simmons, right tackle Jawaan Taylor, Wanya Morris, cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace, linebacker Leo Chenal, safety Nazeeh Johnson, and tight end Jake Briningstool. On Sunday, the Chiefs were also without wide receivers Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, cornerback Trent McDuffie, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and lineman C.J. Hanson.
Stock up
Oladokun. Thrown into action unexpectedly, he completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and held his own under difficult conditions.
Stock down
Wide receiver Xavier Worthy. The 2024 first-round pick has yet to take a major step forward in his second season, catching only two passes for 41 yards when the offense desperately needed production.
Injuries
At this stage, it might be easier to list who isn’t hurt.
Key number
2 — the number of games remaining in the season.
What’s next
Kansas City hosts Denver on Thursday night. What once looked like a marquee Christmas matchup between playoff contenders will instead feature rookie Bo Nix and the Broncos against Oladokun and a Chiefs team simply trying to survive the final stretch of a brutal season.
