For all of the reasons that Kansas City coach Andy Reid might not want to take the Chiefs to Nashville this week, his all-time 3-9 record against the Titans doesn’t even make the list.
Kansas City limps to Tennessee in what is the start of a new chapter on Sunday. The Chiefs closed the book on a streak of seven consecutive AFC Championship game appearances, nine consecutive AFC West division titles and five Super Bowl appearances in the past six seasons when they lost to the Los Angeles Chargers last week. They also lost two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending knee injury and hit the holidays with mostly individual accolades and achievements on the line.
“Every game you go into can be Yahtzee if you want to win. We’re in America here — that’s what we do,” Reid said. “You want to go in to play your best and — if the guys are available, they’re going to play. They know that and they want to do that.”
Reid said Wednesday that he unsurprisingly had to convince Mahomes that torn knee ligaments were “not one of those injuries” he could push through.
“Brace me up and let me go. That’s basically what he was saying (last week),” Reid said.
Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder confirmed Mahomes had surgery this week and already is scheduled for his first rehab session on Friday at the team facility.
“Ballpark on this thing is nine months. Could be a month or two less, month or two more,” Burkholder said. “As Patrick has done in the past, he’s going to attack it.”
While the Chiefs wait on Mahomes rebuilt left knee, the Titans are still sorting building blocks.
The Titans are early in a rebuild around 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward, operating with an interim head coach and holding ground in the chase for the top pick in the 2026 draft at 2-12. General manager Mike Borgonzi leads the personnel department of the Titans. He spent the past 16 years with the Chiefs organization and was hired earlier this year to help the Titans construct a consistent winner.
Ward threw two TD passes last week at San Francisco to run his season total to 11. Ward said he’s disappointed not to be able to take on Mahomes.
“What he’s proven in the league since he’s been here, it’s a matchup every team in the league would look forward to,” Ward said of facing the Chiefs but missing out on Mahomes. “Going up against a team like this that’s been to multiple Super Bowls in a row, been to AFC Championships. It’s a big game for us.”
Chiefs backup Gardner Minshew steps into the QB1 role for Mahomes, but the offense is nowhere near full strength around him. Wide receivers Rashee Rice an Tyquan Thornton began the week in concussion protocol and Hollywood Brown was inactive last week for personal reasons.
Minshew joined the Chiefs on a base salary of $1.1 million but has playing time incentives that could come into play by Week 18.
Mahomes is obviously out for the Week 16 game, but Minshew said you wouldn’t know it.
“That dude still wants us to win,” Minshew said, describing Mahomes pep talks and encouraging words for teammates with a focus on winning the next three games. “It’s an opportunity to step in and do my job.”
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy gave running back Tony Pollard, coming off of back-to-back 100-yard games, a veteran’s rest day Wednesday. Ward did welcome back left tackle Dan Moore Jr., who missed last week’s game. Ward has been sacked 49 times and the Titans are 29th in sacks allowed, 32nd in third-down conversion rate (30.1) and 31st in yards per game (250.5) and points per game (16.1).
“Now it’s just about finishing and finishing out strong,” Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis said, noting it’s “different” without Mahomes on the practice field. “It’s different. This is the first time since I’ve been here that I haven’t seen him or his car here.”
As for personal goals and record watch, Reid has earned 307 career wins, which is fourth all-time and 17 behind George Halas (324) for third. Kelce needs 52 yards to hit 13,000 and needs 88 yards after the catch to pass Marshall Faulk (6,230) for the most “YAC” in NFL history.
Kelce is also 203 yards away from his eighth career season with 1,000 yards.
