It's going to be weird.
The Kansas City Chiefs will take to the field in Week 16, and they'll already be eliminated from playoff contention, and they'll be doing it without Patrick Mahomes.
Gardner Minshew is starting for the Chiefs on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans that only has meaning in the NFL Draft order and not in the playoff picture.
It's been a long time since the Chiefs have played a game that felt like this one.
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Why isn't Patrick Mahomes playing today?
Mahomes isn't playing on Sunday because he's out for the season.
He sustained a torn ACL late in a Week 15 loss to the Chargers. That would be a season-ending injury at any point, but certainly this late in the campaign.
When will Patrick Mahomes be back?
The early estimate is that Mahomes will be out about nine months. If that's the timeline, he'd be able to return around Week 2 or Week 3 of the 2026 season.
But ACL injuries can also last closer to a year, so there's a chance Mahomes could be out longer than that.
The Chiefs' QB could also hurry back to make it back for Week 1, but it feels like that would be a risk potentially not worth taking.
More NFL news:
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- ACL recovery timeline impacts when Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons will return
- The Packers had a chance to sign an all-time great for $5 million and passed
- Tua Tagovailoa's contract looks like a nightmare
- Jaydon Blue concern has played out for Cowboys
- We now know what the Colts are paying Philip Rivers