Gardner Minshew has perfect Chiefs mindset ahead of Week 16

Adam Schultz

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Gardner Minshew has perfect Chiefs mindset ahead of Week 16 image

© Ron Chenoy

The one harsh truth about the NFL is that it moves on very quickly, and even though Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL on Sunday in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the team can't wait around.

As harsh as it sounds, the Chiefs are now in full game mode ahead of Week 16 with Gardner Minshew stepping in for Patrick for the rest of the season.

It has been a whirlwind time since Sunday, with the Chiefs dumped out of the postseason race and then losing Patrick, but how is Minshew dealing with what has transpired over the past couple of days?

“Quick turnaround from a very emotional game and obviously situation with Pat, situation with our team's playoff picture," Minshew said. "But you know what? You are where you're at, and we got to turn this thing around and go get a win this week. So that's where we are."

More: Chiefs reveal Patrick Mahomes' injury mindset with 3 incredible words

What can Minshew gain from three games?

Whether Minshew's time as a starter in this league is over or not is an interesting conversation topic, but what the veteran can do is put himself in the shop window of teams for 2026.

We have seen players who were on the NFL scrap heap, like Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones, find a new team and flourish. Gardner has a chance to impress teams ahead of the offseason, and these next three weeks are a big chance to put some good things on tape and impress organizations.

Three games are a good little sample size for Minshew to prove he can do all the things a franchise quarterback needs, and also, depending on how he fares, the Chiefs might also choose to bring him back.

So, there's no shortage of motivation for Minshew as he approaches this final stretch as his latest NFL job interview.

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