Chiefs predicted to sign future Hall of Fame quarterback amid Patrick Mahomes injury

The Kansas City Chiefs are entering an uncertain offense, primarily because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes' crushing knee injury.

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL during Kansas City's Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and though the All-Pro signal-caller is targeting a Week 1 return in 2026, it remains to be seen if that comes to fruition.

Even if Mahomes is ready for the season opener, the Chiefs would be foolish not to add another quarterback to the roster this offseason, as Gardner Minshew will also be a free agent.

FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano has a bold prediction for who Kansas City will sign to fill in for Mahomes until he's back from his knee injury.

Vacchiano predicts the Chiefs will bring in Philip Rivers for one last ride.

"Rivers will send out feelers to let teams know he wants to keep playing at least one more season. And that’s when he’ll get a surprising offer: Come to Kansas City and be a placeholder until Patrick Mahomes returns from his torn ACL. The chance to potentially play for Andy Reid and maybe even ride along on a Super Bowl quest will be too much to pass up," Vacchiano wrote.

Rivers shocked the football world when he came out of retirement in December to play for the Indianapolis Colts. The 44-year-old went 0-3 as the Colts' starting quarterback, tossing four touchdowns to three interceptions with a 63% completion rate.

Though Rivers stated that he will go back to retirement after the 2025 season, we've seen crazier things happen. If Rivers changes his mind and decides to come back for one more year in 2026, Kansas City would be a logical landing spot for the future Hall of Famer.

Rivers would be a solid option to fill in for Mahomes if the Chiefs' superstar quarterback can't return to begin the 2026 campaign. The eight-time Pro Bowler would gel well with Andy Reid, who played against Rivers for years and knows him well.

Obviously, the chance of this happening is low, as Rivers is no longer a viable long-term starter, but never say never.