The sporting world came to a halt late in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee. He has already
undergone surgery to repair the ligaments, but will miss the rest of the season.
Before Wednesday’s practice, defensive end George Karlaftis remembered watching it unfold while sitting with defensive tackle Chris Jones on the sideline. At first, they didn’t know who had been injured on the play.
“Chris and I were sitting next to each other,” he recalled. “You could hear a pin drop in Arrowhead. That just goes to show how much people here in the community — and really, all around the world — care about him. I know he’s going to attack this like no one else.”
Meanwhile, head coach Andy Reid has the difficult responsibility of shifting to veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew, who will start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. But Reid believes Minshew’s experience will help steady the situation.
“We love having Patrick Mahomes around,” Reid said. “[With] him missing, everybody feels for him.
“[But] at the same time, this is a crazy business that way. It moves on, and Minshew steps up. Now he has an opportunity to play — and thank goodness he’s here, right? He’s got experience — and the guys trust him. Coaches trust him.
“But I think we all love Pat; he’s a special kid.”
While the circumstances are far from ideal, Reid acknowledged that the final three games present opportunities for Minshew and practice squad quarterback Chris Oladokun to advance their careers.
“As sick as Gardner is over the whole thing,” observed Reid, “he also has an opportunity — and wants to do well. It’s great for him, career-wise, whether it’s here or somewhere else. It’s great for him and gives Oladokun reps in there, too, if he were needed.”
Some of the team’s fans have decided that losing the season’s final three games would be a good thing, since it would improve Kansas City’s position in April’s NFL Draft. The Chiefs currently sit just outside the top 10 selections.
But Minshew does not share that perspective.
“It’s an opportunity to step in and do my job,” Minshew said of Sunday’s start. “There are a lot of guys who have put a ton of work into this. I owe it to them, I owe it to this coaching staff, this team and this fan base to go out and do my best — to give us the best chance to win.”
Minshew also spoke about how he can build timing with his receivers on short notice — and with limited practice reps.
“I think [it will take] getting to the side [when] the defense is going or the special teams is going, just getting extra reps. Whether it’s full routes or not, [it’s] just getting used to guys seeing the ball come out of your hands, seeing how different guys come out of breaks, how guys change speed — all that little stuff. I’m just getting a feel for how these guys move [and] how they see the game. [I’m] just trying to put them in the best position to go help us win.”
Meanwhile, the locker room is adjusting to the new reality. Only four current Chiefs have been in Kansas City longer than the starting quarterback, so most players are experiencing life without Mahomes for the first time.
“Mahomes is one of the [people] that makes this thing go,” said Karlaftis. “It’s definitely different without him being here.
“Just like with any other position, it’s, ‘Next man up’ — and I know Gardner’s going to do a great job — but it’s for sure different. [When] I got here today, it was the first time since I’ve been here that I haven’t seen him or his car here. It was different.”
Mahomes will return. But until he does, things will be different throughout Chiefs Kingdom.
