Andy Reid speaks clearly: playoffs lost and Mahomes on recovery

Andy Reid had to deal with a situation few imagined. The Chiefs missed the playoffs after a 16-13 loss to the Chargers. The coach admitted frustration is shared in the locker room. Remember, the franchise had ten straight postseason appearances.

The defeat left Kansas City at 6-8 with three consecutive losses. According to Essentiallysports, Andy Reid acknowledged that league parity hits even the strongest teams, and this time they ended up on the wrong side.

Locker room atmosphere

Andy Reid explained that players gave everything, but the result was a tough blow. He noted the overall feeling was disappointment, though he valued the effort of those filling key roles.

The coach also stressed that red-zone chances weren’t taken and field mistakes proved costly. For Andy Reid, those details defined a season that grew more complicated week after week.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid on being out of the playoffs in December: “I’m not happy about it. Neither is anybody here. We strive for excellence. We try to do that every year. Things happen, though, in this league. There’s a lot of parity, and sometimes you end up on the short end of…

— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) December 15, 2025

Mahomes’ injury

Andy Reid now deals not only with elimination but also with Patrick Mahomes’ absence. The quarterback tore his ACL in the same game against the Chargers, an image that shook the NFL.

The coach assured Mahomes will attack rehab with the same intensity he shows on the field. Andy Reid also recalled that other quarterbacks overcame similar injuries and trusts his star to return at full strength.

A human message

Reid shared that Mahomes feels responsible for the situation but quickly focused on the recovery challenge. The coach highlighted that the player has strong medical support and already thinks about coming back.

The process includes a second opinion in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper, something Andy Reid called normal in these cases. For the coach, the key is Mahomes keeping confidence and discipline through every stage of rehab.

Andy Reid knows the present is complicated. With Gardner Minshew stepping in, the Chiefs must finish the season with patience and resilience. The coach made clear the priority is no longer this campaign, but preparing the ground for Mahomes to return fully and lead the team back to the NFL elite.