Gardner Minshew Injury Update, Who's Chiefs' QB with Patrick Mahomes Already Out?

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew received some good news on Monday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the signal-caller avoided an ACL injury and will not need surgery.

The Chiefs already lost star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending torn ACL last week. The team was initially concerned that veteran backup Gardner Minshew also has a torn ACL after being ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Kansas City is now left to turn to Chris Oladokun, who has been a member of the franchise since 2022 and is making his first career appearance in the NFL.

The team also signed Shane Buechele off the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Minshew completed just three of his eight passes for 15 yards before exiting the game. He also ran the ball once for eight yards. He appeared to suffer a non-contact injury on the third play of the game and tried to play through it before eventually letting Oladokun take over.

Kansas City ultimately fell, 26-9, to Tennessee:

 ▶️Full Chiefs-Titans Recap

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Oladokun was a seventh-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022, signing with the Chiefs' practice squad that August. He was a member of two of Kansas City's Super Bowl winning teams.

The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014 in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The team was further devastated when Mahomes was injured with less than two minutes remaining in the game. He underwent surgery to repair his ACL and LCL, and he's already begun rehab with the goal of being recovered in time for Week 1 of the 2026 season.

"Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different," Rick Burkholder, the Chiefs' vice president of sports medicine and performance, said Wednesday. "[Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker. Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less."

Things won't get any easier for the Chiefs after Sunday, as they will have a quick turnaround to face the AFC-leading Denver Broncos on Christmas Day.