Patrick Mahomes to Be Rested by Chiefs vs. Chargers; Chad Henne to Start

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed Wednesday that he will rest Patrick Mahomes for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Chad Henne will start the 2020 season finale, and it appears Mahomes won't be the only regular starter to remain on the sidelines:

Reid went on to say Matt Moore may be deputized as Henne's backup rather than leaning on Mahomes as the No. 2 option.

The Chiefs have already clinched the AFC's top seed, thus securing a bye in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. That means Mahomes will have been out of action for two weeks when Kansas City opens its postseason in the divisional round.

Kansas City didn't have that luxury in either of the past two years. The team needed Week 17 wins in 2018 and 2019 to earn that coveted opening-round bye.

Henne will now start his first game since the third week of the 2014 campaign. He's gone 7-of-11 for 59 yards in six games since his last start.

They're already assured of a losing record, so the Chargers don't figure to gain all that much against what figures to be a weaker Chiefs team. Los Angeles can at least close 2020 on a four-game winning streak, providing reason for excitement ahead of Justin Herbert's sophomore season.