The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, which had a heavier impact than just a loss on their record. With the loss, the Chiefs are eliminated from playoff contention.
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Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes also suffered a torn ACL in the final two minutes of the game, making the loss even worse to deal with. Considering all that happened, it was not a shock that some players had no idea they were eliminated from playoff contention, including All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who showed brutal emotion when finding out.
The Chiefs have been a mainstay in the playoffs over the last 10 seasons, securing a playoff berth in each of those seasons, and winning three Super Bowls as well.
Even when the Chiefs appeared not to be poised to make the playoffs, such as in 2024, they found a way to win most of their one-score games to push themselves into the big game. Unfortunately, they would lose to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their chances at being the first three-peat champions in the NFL.
Now, the Chiefs will not even have a chance to compete in the playoffs, which fell hard on Jones.
During the post-game press conference, Jones believed that the Chiefs were still able to compete for a playoff spot. However, the media indicated that they were eliminated, leading to a visibly and brutally emotional Jones.
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“We still have a fighting chance,” Jones initially stated.
Clearly, the vibe or looks that he was getting in the room led to a follow-up question.
“Are we out of the playoffs?” Jones asked. The response was a resounding yes, leading to a very somber “Ok” response from the Chiefs’ star defender.
The room grew silent, and Jones appeared to be stuck in that moment with the steep realization that the Chiefs were not completely out of contention for the postseason.
As stated, the Chiefs dealt with a lot in their Week 15 loss, including Mahomes suffering a season-ending injury. He is the leader of the team, so it would make sense that the team and Jones may not have known the season was done from a playoff standpoint.
It is also not shocking that Jones did not know the team was eliminated, considering the many ways in which most AFC teams are still chasing a playoff berth, such as the 6-7 Miami Dolphins. Either way, the Chiefs are eliminated, and that is a weird thing to even state.
The Chiefs will have to move forward and hope to put together a winning record in their last three games without Mahomes.
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