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Chiefs Announce News After Fifth Straight Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 26, 2025 7:09 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had to field a makeshift lineup on Christmas Day as they hosted the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium for a Week 17 primetime matchup.

The Chiefs were without Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in their Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. They also lost backup quarterback Gardner Minshew to a knee injury after he replaced Mahomes in the starting lineup, forcing Reid to start third-string QB Chris Oladokun under center against the Broncos on Thursday.

In the end, the Chiefs lost again, 20-13, marking their fifth straight defeat.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid during an NFL game.Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Chiefs had another injury scare in the game, too. This came in the form of two-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker Nick Bolton sustaining an injury late in the game. The 25-year-old got caught up as Broncos running back RJ Harvey went for a 6-yard run up the middle at the 5:05 mark of the fourth quarter. Bolton, who was battling an illness throughout the week, was slow to get up and was seen walking with a limp as he made his way to the Chiefs' bench.

The good news for the fans is that Bolton did not suffer a significant injury during the game. In fact, Coach Reid announced after the loss that there were no injuries to report among his players.

This is the best possible news for the Chiefs injury-wise, especially considering all the bad luck they’ve had to deal with over the past several weeks. Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that they lost again and are now 6-10.

Even if Kansas City wins its last game of the season — against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 18 — this will be its worst season in over a decade. Apart from missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014, their record this season will represent their worst standing since 2012, when they went 2-14.

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

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