Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Andy Reid, Chiefs Receive Good News After Missing Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Dec 22, 2025 2:48 PM ET

Andy Reid recently lost Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending torn ACL and LCL.

Mahomes' season was cut short with three games remaining. After one of the NFL's top quarterbacks was ruled out for the rest of the season, the Chiefs turned to Gardner Minshew.

Minshew served as the Chiefs' starting quarterback heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

While he has certainly been a fine quarterback during his NFL career and Kansas City expressed confidence in the former backup, Minshew went down with a knee injury in his first game as the starter. The Titans went on to claim a 26-9 victory, just their third of the season.

The initial thought was that Minshew may have also suffered a torn ACL.

While he will miss some time, the Kansas City Chiefs received some great news on the extent of the injury. The question of an ACL tear was recently ruled out following an MRI, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.

What could have been another long rehab process for a Chiefs quarterback gets a sigh of relief after further examination.

#Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew received some good news, as his ACL was spared, sources say following the MRI. His knee is still injured and should miss game time.

But not what it initially appeared. pic.twitter.com/DvotAdQOCQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2025

Gardner Minshew is playing in his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Before signing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Minshew has plenty of experience in the NFL, despite mainly being used as a backup quarterback. He has passed for nearly 12,000 yards while posting 68 touchdowns with a 63.1 completion percentage.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs should essentially turn the page on the season and focus on their journey for the 2026 season, working through the rehab process of Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City (6-9) will host the Denver Broncos (12-3) at 8:15 p.m. ET on Christmas Day on Amazon Prime Video.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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