Gardner Minshew Injury Update Reveals New Diagnosis for QB Ahead of NFL Free Agency

Gardner Minshew is reportedly hitting free agency with expectations of a healthy offseason despite the season-ending left knee injury he suffered while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 21.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that Minshew's injury "turned out to be a bone bruise that did not require any surgery."

"Minshew didn't suffer any long-term damage to the knee and he is already back to full strength," Schefter wrote.

Schefter originally reported on Dec. 21 the Chiefs were "concerned" Minshew had suffered an ACL tear. He added the following day that tests revealed Minshew's ACL was intact.

Minshew, who will turn 30 in May, made four appearances for the Chiefs last season after signing a one-year, $1.17 million deal as Patrick Mahomes' backup.

He stepped in for Mahomes after the star suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 15, then made his first start of the season in Week 16 at the Tennessee Titans.

Minshew played 14 snaps and connected on three of eight pass attempts before he went down with his knee injury.

The quarterback was coming off as two seasons as a stopgap starter. The first was with the Indianapolis Colts, where he earned a Pro Bowl nod while filling in for an injured Anthony Richardson. The seconsd was with the Las Vegas Raiders, where the team struggled while vacillating between him and Aidan O'Connell in 2024.

Mahomes underwent surgery on his torn ACL on Dec. 15. A nine-month recovery timeline would put him back on the field in mid-September, raising questions about whether the Chiefs will have their star quarterback available for Week 1.

The Chiefs currently have Mahomes and Chris Oladokun as the only quarterbacks under contract through next season, and Oladokun's regular-season NFL starts have been limited to the last two games of the 2025 season.

Minshew has more experience, and he helped keep the Colts in the playoff picture while Richardson was injured two years ago. He also could command a relatively affordable next contract, which will be key for a team that Over the Cap currently projects will have the least cap space in the NFL next season.

The projection that he will be healthy for the start of 2026 could make Minshew a more likely candidate to re-sign with the Chiefs and potentially fill in under center until Mahomes is able to return this fall.