For the first time in more than a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs are entering an offseason filled with real uncertainty at quarterback. Not because they want to. Because they have to.The 2025 season effectively ended in Week 15, when Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers. The loss knocked Kansas City out of playoff contention and closed the door on a run of dominance that had become routine under Andy Reid. Now, the question that would have seemed unthinkable just months ago is unavoidable. Who starts if Mahomes is not ready when next season begins?
Mahomes’ recovery timeline remains fluid. ACL injuries often allow a return in roughly nine months, but Mahomes also suffered damage to his LCL, a complication that could slow the process. While the Chiefs remain optimistic, league-wide speculation has already begun.
One name drawing surprising attention is Tua Tagovailoa.
The Miami Dolphins benched Tagovailoa prior to Week 16, turning the offense over to rookie Quinn Ewers and signaling a possible organizational reset. According to Miami Sun-Sentinel reporter
David Furones, the Chiefs are viewed by some around the league as a potential landing spot should Miami decide to move on.
That idea gained further traction when ESPN’s
Jeremy Fowler reported that league executives believe the Dolphins could follow the Denver Broncos’ blueprint from 2024, when they released Russell Wilson despite massive financial consequences.
“They should follow the Broncos’ blueprint with Russell Wilson and just rip the Band-Aid off,” one league source told Fowler. “They seem very obviously done with him.”
Tagovailoa’s situation is complicated by the contract he signed just a year ago, a four-year extension worth $212 million. But Miami is now staring at its second straight losing season, and patience appears to be wearing thin. For Kansas City, the appeal would be obvious. A former Pro Bowl quarterback, still in his prime, potentially available at a discount if Miami absorbs the financial hit.
There is also a quieter, more conservative option already in-house.
Reporter Dominic Minchella suggested that Kansas City may not need to look outside the building at all. Veteran backup Gardner Minshew
, though currently on season-ending injured reserve, has extensive starting experience and familiarity with the role of stabilizer rather than savior.
And then there is the third-stringer.
In last week’s loss to the Tennessee Titans,
“I thought he did okay,” Reid said. “He was able to get us moving a little bit. And I probably could’ve given him better stuff to work with. He didn’t have any reps leading in. But for what he was asked to do, he did a nice job.”
For now, the Chiefs are not in a rush to declare a successor or make a dramatic move. Much hinges on Mahomes’ rehab and whether he can meet the early-season timeline that has become the organization’s internal benchmark.
Still, the mere existence of these conversations underscores how dramatically the landscape has shifted. Kansas City has gone from assuming continuity at quarterback to quietly preparing contingency plans.
Whether that plan involves a shocking outside addition like Tagovailoa or a steady hand already on the roster, one thing is clear. The Chiefs are entering unfamiliar territory, and the next few months may shape the post-Mahomes chapter more than anyone in Kansas City ever expected.
