Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid looks on during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

What the Chiefs Missed Out On vs. Titans

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost six of their last eight games, as their season continues to spiral out of control. They may have been knocked out of playoff contention, but that doesn't give them any excuse to lose at this alarming rate.

The Tennessee Titans are widely considered one of the weakest teams in the NFL, and they carved up the starting Chiefs defense like it was nothing. This loss makes even less sense when considering that their defense was legitimately trying all game long, and they couldn't stop a rookie quarterback and interim head coach from dicing them up.

Biggest Takeaway

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

ESPN released an article where their team of reporters identified one massive takeaway from each game that took place in Week 16. For the Chiefs, Andy Reid's decision to continue to start veteran players when the season's already done says a lot about where this organization is headed and the change that needs to occur.

"Despite the Chiefs already being out of the postseason, Reid still decided to play more veterans than rookies or inexperienced players. Safety Mike Edwards, a six-year veteran, was on the field more than Jaden Hicks, a second-year player. Rookies such as receiver Jalen Royals, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and running back Brashard Smith rarely saw the field. Why not let the youngsters get more game experience to help their development?", said Nate Taylor.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

With the number of upcoming free agents the Chiefs are going to have to make decisions on, one would think this is the perfect chance to see what they have in their younger players. Their game against the Titans was the low-stakes environment that would've accelerated these players' growth, and they were robbed of that in place of players who have already hit their stride and have little room for improvement.

Chiefs Kingdom doesn't have much to look forward to for the rest of the season, so giving their rookies more playing time would give them a glimpse of what the future of this franchise looks like. The fact that Kareem Hunt was still getting carries over Brashard Smith in a meaningless game should tell you everything you need to know about this front office and coaching staff.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Chiefs drafted these players for a reason, so it's infuriating for them to willingly choose not to play them in a season that's already lost. Hopefully, their loss to the Titans opened their eyes, and we get to see more youth on both offense and defense against the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day. That would be the best present the Chiefs could bestow on their fans this holiday season.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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