The Chiefs were eliminated from the playoffs because they lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 16–13 in Week 15, which dropped them to 6–8 and mathematically ended their postseason chances once other AFC contenders also won that weekend. That loss snapped Kansas City’s long streak of playoff appearances and division titles in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Immediate elimination scenario
The elimination became official when the Chiefs lost to the Chargers while the Bills, Jaguars and Texans all won their games, closing off every remaining wild-card path. Kansas City’s final potential record of 9–8 was no longer good enough in tiebreakers against those teams, so they were out even with three games left to play.
On-field issues in the Chargers game
In the Chargers game, the Chiefs blew a 13–3 lead and managed only 3 points in the second half as the offense stalled repeatedly in the red zone. Late in the fourth quarter, Patrick Mahomes threw a costly interception near the goal line and later left with a left knee injury, and backup Gardner Minshew’s interception on the final drive ended their last chance to tie the game.
Season-long problems
Across the season, Kansas City struggled with an injury-ravaged offensive line, an inconsistent receiving group and a run game that did not consistently support Mahomes. Mahomes also played below his usual MVP standard, and the team repeatedly failed in one-score games after dominating close contests the previous year.
Defensive and special teams decline
Defensively, the pass rush was less effective despite having stars up front, which forced more blitzing and led to breakdowns in coverage in key moments. On special teams, the Chiefs lost their usual edge as the kicking and return units were less reliable, contributing to narrow losses in a season where their margin for error was small.