NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Just one week after the Kansas City Chiefs lost starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear in his left knee, quarterback Gardner Minshew is feared to have suffered a torn ACL during Sunday’s 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Minshew sustained a left knee injury when he scrambled on the third play of the game and fell to the turf with what appeared to be a noncontact injury. Immediately after the play, he reached for the knee and hobbled off the field.
He tried to continue playing but couldn’t use proper footwork on passing attempts, completing 3 of 8 passes for 15 yards.
“It sucks, and it’s horrible to see,” center Creed Humphrey said. “Obviously, I hope he’s all right. It just sucks to see.”
Sunday’s game was Minshew’s first start of the season. Mahomes suffered his season-ending torn ACL in his left knee during last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.
ChiefsDigest.com was first to report that Minshew is feared to have suffered an ACL tear.
Chris Oladokun, the Chiefs’ third-string quarterback, entered the game while Minshew was being evaluated in the medical tent with 11 minutes left in the second quarter. A few minutes later, Rick Burkholder, the team’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, hugged Minshew, who walked to the locker room without his helmet.
“For our offense, it’s deflating,” linebacker Nick Bolton said of Minshew’s absence. “On defense, we pour our hearts out to him. He gave his all for us, all the way back to training camp, just getting us ready for the season and being the scout team quarterback. He gets his opportunity to go play for real, so your heart goes out for him.”
The loss ensured that the Chiefs (6-9) will finish the season with a losing record, their first under coach Andy Reid, who joined the franchise in 2013.
“Nobody likes losing in this business, but my hat goes off for the guys who have put together all these years [with a winning record],” Reid said. “We can learn from it and need to do that going forward. Sometimes a good kick in the tail helps you there, coaches and players.”
Prior to Sunday, Oladokun’s only previous NFL regular-season game was Jan. 5, when he backed up Carson Wentz for the Chiefs in a 38-0 blowout loss to the Denver Broncos. In that game, Oladokun ran once for 5 yards, was sacked and had a fumble.
The Chiefs scored all of their nine points with Oladokun operating the offense. He finished with 111 passing yards but was sacked four times.
“The moment wasn’t too big for me,” Oladokun said. “I felt really calm out there, and I felt like I was seeing things pretty good. The game didn’t seem too fast for me. You just never know how you’re going to react in those situations until you’re in it.”
Oladokun also said that the first person to send him a text message after the game was Mahomes.
“Everyone misses his presence; the whole team,” he said of Mahomes.
Oladokun started at South Florida and also attended Samford and South Dakota State. Pittsburgh drafted Oladokun in 2022 with a seventh-round pick. He joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in late August 2022.
The Chiefs will have just one practice this week before hosting the Broncos on Thursday night. With Minshew out, Oladokun is expected to be the team’s starter for the final two games of the season.
“I’m ready for the opportunity,” Oladokun said. “We have a lot of young guys playing, but it’s a great experience. It’s going to be real valuable for us. It’s Christmas Day. The possibility of me making my first start on Christmas Day is pretty special. I’ll have family in town. I’m looking forward to it.”
