Chiefs’ Pillars Make Thoughts Clear on Alarming Late-Season Obstacle
As the 2025-26 NFL season continues to roll on, the Kansas City Chiefs seemingly don’t. Head coach Andy Reid’s team lost its Thanksgiving Day outing against the Dallas Cowboys, creating even more pressure for the home stretch.
Several culprits played a role in the defeat, injuries included. Kansas City entered Thursday already without right guard Trey Smith, and things only devolved from there.
Two additional pieces went down in Week 13. That presents a massive obstacle for the Chiefs — perhaps a season-altering one.
Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes Salute Chiefs’ Shorthanded Offensive Line for Week 13 Effort
Speaking to the media on Thursday evening, Reid sorted through the traffic. The prospect of being without Smith, a Pro Bowl-caliber player, was daunting enough. Once left tackle Josh Simmons and right tackle Jawaan Taylor got hurt, it became nearly impossible.
Still, the Chiefs navigated the course and nearly completed a late comeback. Following the 31-28 loss, Reid saluted the team for adjusting on the fly.
“Listen, we go to next man up, and try to make it work,” Reid said. “Our pass game was a little off. He had to move around quite a little bit. But the guys battled, they did the best they could. That’s a good defensive front. We were just off timing a little bit, but Pat still made some great plays.”
Simmons, Kansas City’s first-round pick back in April, suffered a dislocated and fractured wrist. For all intents and purposes, a stint on injured reserve seems highly likely. Taylor is nursing a tricep ailment, and Smith’s high- and low-ankle sprains are worth monitoring as well.
According to NFL Pro, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was pressured on 35% of his dropbacks. Pro Football Focus credits two backup players — tackle Jaylon Moore and guard Mike Caliendo — with 5+ pressures.
Mahomes, like Reid, is proud anyway.
“They battled, man,” Mahomes said. “That’s a hard thing to do on a short week. To come in against a good defensive line, one that can rush the passer from all five positions. They did a good job battling when their number was called. Hopefully, we can get some of these guys back and get ’em healthy over this extended week that we have. But I have confidence in those guys stepping in to play if need be.”
Kansas City Running Low on Margin for Error Down Stretch of Season
Whether that confidence can turn into real-life results remains to be seen. Per ESPN, heading into Week 13, the Chiefs ranked third in team pass block win rate while sitting 20th in run block win rate. Mahomes’ brilliance, as well as halfback Kareem Hunt helping keep the run game afloat, likely contributed to both rankings.
Things won’t get much easier for the defending AFC champions. If they want to get back to the postseason, it’ll take them winning out or going 5-1 and getting some help. Considering their four losses against in-conference opponents, that isn’t a recipe for success. The upcoming schedule leaves room for opportunity, but also the same leeway for disaster.
A bit of a break arrives by way of a long week prior to Week 14’s outing against the Houston Texans. After that, the Los Angeles Chargers await in an AFC West showdown. Then it’s the Tennessee Titans, followed by the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Aside from Tennessee and Las Vegas, each of the remaining clubs is firmly entrenched in the AFC playoff race.
A banged-up, tired, tested Chiefs team finds itself in perhaps its worst position of the Mahomes era. Since he took over as full-time starter back in 2018, all the organization has known is overtime of the AFC championship game.
In order to return to that, it’ll take some serious soul-searching. Having three offensive linemen hurt doesn’t help that cause one bit.
Sam Darnold 'Very Grateful' For Time In Minnesota, But Focus Is On Helping Seahawks Win Games
With his starting quarterback set to face his former team on Sunday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked if he has had any conversations with Sam Darnold about managing his emotions when the Vikings come to Lumen Field this week.
"I have not talked to him about that," Macdonald said. "Maybe that's bad head coaching."
Macdonald was making a joke at his own expense, but it is telling that Macdonald didn't really feel compelled to have any sort of extra conversation with his quarterback this season. Of the many traits that have helped Darnold thrive in his first season with the Seahawks, one frequently mentioned by teammates and coaches is his steady demeanor.
Darnold isn't one to get too high after wins or too low after losses, so he also isn't the type to let a game against the team that let him leave in free agency affect what he does this week.
"You see his approach every day, and it's what you love about him," Macdonald said. "And again, same guy after a game where he throws for X amount of yards and great passer rating and then a game that we lose. Same guy, which is what you want, what you expect."
Darnold, who the Jets made the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, had more than his share of ups and downs in his career before landing in Minnesota last season. Prior to his Pro-Bowl 2024 campaign, in which he helped lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record, he had been traded from the Jets to the Panthers, then after two seasons in Carolina, allowed to leave in free agency, leading to him signing with the 49ers to spend a year as Brock Purdy's backup. That season proved significant for Darnold, who learned under Kyle Shananan and current Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was then the 49ers' passing game coordinator, and it paved the way for him to join the Vikings last season and have the best year of his career.
So of course Darnold has fond memories of his time in Minnesota and bonds with people still there, but that doesn't change anything about how he will attack his week or approach Sunday's game.
"I'm very grateful for the time that I spent there," Darnold said. "All the people that I created relationships with, all the people in that locker room, all the coaches there, the people in that building, but I am very excited to be here and to continue doing what we're doing this year."
The Vikings, who selected quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round of last year's draft, did not sign Darnold to an extension last season, or use the franchise tag on him in the offseason, meaning when the Seahawks made the decision to trade Geno Smith to the Raiders, Darnold was available as a free agent and quickly became their top target.
Darnold didn't want to get into specifics of how things went with Minnesota in the offseason, but said, "At the end of the day, I made the decision to come here and I'm very happy about that decision, and excited to continue to work the way that we've been working here and continue to build the relationships in that locker room and with the coaching staff here."
And it was actually Minnesota's last trip to Seattle that helped pave the way for the Seahawks to pursue him in free agency. When the Vikings played at Lumen Field last year, Darnold threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, the last of which was a beautifully-thrown deep shot to Justin Jefferson for the go-ahead score. That game alone didn't convince the Seahawks to sign Darnold, but seeing him compete like that in person definitely played a role in the evaluation.
"You definitely felt Sam throughout the game," Macdonald said in March after Darnold signed. "You are calling a game plan against the quarterback, the personnel, your people, the person calling the plays on their team. So it was a heck of a battle. It was a knock-down drag out fight to the end, and to Sam's credit, they kept battling and found a way to win in the end. A lot of respect for, obviously, what he did in the game. Absolutely, to see it in person, see him perform and scout team him throughout the week. You're watching a lot of tape of pretty much every snap throughout the season. Probably wouldn't have had that exposure going into the whole thing if we had not have played Sam.
"When it became apparent that we were going to have to pivot away from Geno, we were definitely hoping that it was going to land with Sam… And there's some great quarterbacks out there that we looked into, but really apparent that Sam was our guy. Once we decided to make the move with Geno, understanding who was out there, definitely Sam became the No. 1 focus pretty quickly."
That move, one of several great offseason additions by general manager and president of football operations John Schneider, has paid off in a big way for the Seahawks. With Darnold leading the way, the Seahawks are 8-3 and have one of the most explosive passing attacks, with Darnold posting league-best marks in yards-per-completion (13.5) and yards-per-attempt (9.3) averages, while ranking fourth in passer rating (106.2).
As impressive as Darnold was in Minnesota last year, he is playing even better this year. Plenty of people wondered if he could top his Pro-Bowl performance in 2024, but the Seahawks saw in Darnold a player still on the rise, and he has proven them right this season.
"I think Sam's best days are ahead of him, and I think you've seen that through the course of his career," Macdonald said in March. "How he's able to grow as a player. Talking with some are defensive guys, we felt him out there (in Seattle's loss to the Vikings). When you play quarterbacks, or a quarterback is on your team, you want to feel them in the game. And you definitely feel Sam's presence and poise, competitiveness, accuracy, like the downfield threat, that's definitely a part of it. And then being able to run the show, too, operationally; Sam can do it with the best of them as well."
Darnold could approach Sunday's game as a chance to show the Vikings what they missed out on by letting him leave, but that isn't the approach that got him this far in his career. Yes, Darnold appreciated his time in Minnesota, but now he is thrilled to be a Seahawk, and his only focus in on helping his team keep pace in the playoff race.
"We went down that path and at the end of the day, I'm here," Darnold said. "Whatever people want to say about it, it is what it is. I'm just very thankful to be here and be in this situation."
