Key Highlights
- The Kansas City Chiefs will not feature in the 2025 NFL play-offs due to Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury.
- No single team has emerged as the likely successor to the Chiefs, leaving the title up for grabs.
- Patrick Mahomes could miss the start of next season after undergoing surgery on his injured knee.
- The Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles are among teams with a chance to claim the championship.
Chiefs’ Exit: A Symbolic Blow to Kansas City’s Dynasty
In a dramatic turn of events, Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers has symbolized the fall of the once-dominant Kansas City Chiefs. The three-time Super Bowl winner was fighting to save his team’s season when he had to be taken off the field late in the game, only for the Chargers to clinch victory and seal the Chiefs’ fate.
For the first time in 11 seasons, the Chiefs will miss the NFL play-offs. Their leader has fallen, their dynasty is crumbling, but during a topsy-turvy season, no single team has emerged as a likely successor to fill the void left by Kansas City’s exit.
The Play-Off Race: A Wide Open Path
With Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals also eliminated from play-off contention on Sunday, and two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Lamar Jackson possibly missing out with the Baltimore Ravens, the path to the AFC Championship is wide open. This could be the year that Josh Allen leads the Buffalo Bills to their first Super Bowl appearance after four seasons of heartbreak against the Chiefs.
“I’ll tell you who’s really grateful the Chiefs are out, the Buffalo Bills,” says Ben Volin, senior NFL writer at the Boston Globe. “The Chiefs have been their nemesis for the last five years. Now they don’t have to face them in the play-offs, and maybe the path is wide open for the Bills to finally get to the Super Bowl after all these years of heartbreak.”
Other Play-Off Contenders: A Surprising Turnaround
The Denver Broncos (12-2) lead the way in the AFC standings, ending a nine-year play-off drought last season. The New England Patriots (11-3), who claimed just four wins last season, and the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) have also come from nowhere to contend for their post-season return over the final three weeks of the regular season.
“The path is wide open,” says Volin. “There are teams like the Patriots and Bears making it that no one expected at the beginning of the year. They’ve collected a lot of talented players with having all those high draft picks over the years, and I think Ben Johnson’s done a really nice job putting it all together.”
While the Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) have faltered in recent weeks, the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) lost star player Micah Parsons to a season-ending injury.
The Detroit Lions (8-6), last year’s top seed in the NFC, are in danger of missing out on this season’s play-offs.
“There’s a lot of games that mean so much and will determine the fate of these teams,” says NFL pundit Phoebe Schecter. “How could you not get excited by this sport right now?”
The earliest Mahomes was previously bowed out of title contention has been in overtime in the AFC Championship game, effectively a Super Bowl semi-final. The Chiefs have played more football than any other team, adding up all those play-off games, which is like playing an extra season.
“Do people want to continue playing who maybe thought, ‘let’s try and get one more Super Bowl’? Or do they decide to retire now?” Schecter adds. “The Chiefs have had a remarkable turnaround under Head Coach Andy Reid and Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but certain players might step back now.”
The absence of Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning in the play-offs for the first time since 1998 creates an intriguing season. The NFL is filled with surprises this year, making every game a must-watch.
