Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in the closing moments of yesterday’s game. It’s a massive blow, not only for him but also for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, former QB Cam Newton believes this setback could turn into a strength by the start of next season.
Advertisement
With the 16-13 loss to the LA Chargers yesterday, the Chiefs are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Even if they had managed to win, Mahomes’ absence for the rest of the season would have basically sealed their fate. From now on, it will be a long offseason and a road to recovery for the quarterback.
However, Newton believes that when Mahomes returns, he will be just fine, if not better.
“The thing that gives me hope is that quarterbacks have torn ACLs to come back even better than ever,” Newton said during a segment on First Take.
“You’ve seen what happened to Tom Brady. You’ve seen what happened to A-Rod early on in his career. And also with a guy like Joe Burrow, who’s also led his team to success. An ACL injury does not always mean that struggles are to come,” he added.
It was an excellent point that might ease the worries of the Chiefs Kingdom for now. But it’s still a sad day in Kansas City. For the better part of the past decade, Mahomes and the team have been a model of excellence in the NFL. They are a powerhouse, always in the conversation for a Super Bowl run.
“I think it’s the worst thing for the football world because nobody likes to see superstars go down like this. … It almost guarantees that Travis Kelce is out of the door, too.”
—@CameronNewton on Patrick Mahomes’ ACL injury pic.twitter.com/y2NQQDMboc
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 15, 2025
This year will be the first time since 2014 that the Chiefs miss the playoffs. With this in mind, along with Mahomes’ injury, which may extend into next season, Newton thinks that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will retire after the season.
“To see that transpire, it almost guarantees that Travis Kelce is out of the door, too,” Newton predicted.
Many fans expected the 2024 season to be Kelce’s last. But after a disappointing loss in the Super Bowl against the Eagles, he decided to come back for one last dance. That, however, didn’t quite turn out to be a showstopper.
It will also be interesting to see if the Chiefs can return to their winning ways. After years of excellence, culminating last year in a 12-0 record in one-score games, it seems their magic may be beginning to fade. Perhaps a “factory reset,” like the one they are getting with Mahomes out, might help them see things from a different perspective.
