Chiefs Film Study: Patrick Mahomes’ interception should lay the foundation for Kansas City’s top offseason priority in 2026

Mahomes’ late-game interception against the Chargers not only contributed to the Chiefs’ loss, but it’s proof Kansas City needs to find its star QB more help.

Evan Winter, Kyle Crabbs
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Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) runs the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs’ frustrating season reached new heights in Week 15.

Not only did the Chiefs lose to the Los Angeles Chargers – star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was lost for the year after tearing his ACL and LCL late in the game. He was trying to rally the Chiefs, who were down three with little time remaining.

A big reason why the Chiefs were in that spot is because Mahomes threw a critical interception earlier in the fourth quarter. There’s a lot going on in that play and there’s more to it than what happened on the field, so I tagged A to Z NFL’s Kyle Crabbs to help break it all down.

Mahomes’ gamble doesn’t pay off against Daiyan Henley

Kyle: The Chiefs will embark throughout the rest of their disappointing 2025 season without QB Patrick Mahomes, who saw his season cut short with the first major injury of his NFL career. In the buildup to the injury, Mahomes was doing his best with a situation around him that underscores what the Chiefs must be focused on in the offseason ahead.

The whole thing around him needs to be better. There’s no better example of that than Mahomes’ interception early in the fourth quarter while in the red zone against the Chargers. Trailing 16-13, Mahomes faced 3rd & 12 from the Chargers’ 17-yard line in a 3×1 formation and RB Kareem Hunt flanking the Chiefs’ quarterback to his right.

With just a four-man rush, the Chargers put rapid stress on Mahomes — left guard Kingsley Suamataia lost fast on a spin move against Tuli Tuipulotu. Left tackle Esa Pole failed to get clean hands on Odafe Oweh, too. Oweh ran the outside arc and as Mahomes flushed out of the pocket to his right, away from Tulipulotu, he ran directly into the path of Oweh’s track around the edge. As Mahomes left the pocket, Chargers EDGE Khalil Mack shot upfield and into the feet of Mahomes, who lofted a throw up the right sideline while high-stepping over Mack.

His target was Hunt, who ran a wheel route up the sideline. He never got stacked overtop of Chargers LB Daiyan Henley, who was in perfect position to attack the football in the air. Based on the pressure, it was probably the only place Mahomes could go with the football — TE Travis Kelce was the only other target to that side of the field and he was running a long-developing juke/swirl route at the top of the stem that required time to set up. Time was one thing Mahomes had none of on this play.

When you zoom out and watch this play from a 30,000 foot view, it is jarring how hard it would be for any quarterback to have success. The Chiefs’ protection, as you’d expect with four backup linemen on the field, was hardly present. The options to beat coverage were limited. And that left Mahomes with two options: try your luck in a one-on-one situation, or throw the ball away and kick the field goal. It would seem as though he chose wrong.

Chiefs have to make bold, but smart, moves to help Mahomes in the offseason

    Evan: The Chiefs’ season is over, so the focus shifts to the offseason where the team has to make some waves when it comes to building up the offense.

    For starters, they need to add a true No. 1 wideout for Mahomes and it doesn’t need to come via the draft. It needs to be someone who can step in and make an immediate impact by providing Mahomes with a reliable, explosive target that also opens things up for everyone else.

    It’s not much of a surprise to see Mahomes’ effectiveness decline as Travis Kelce’s play has declined. I am in no way saying his success is dependent on Kelce, but the future Hall of Fame tight end was a matchup nightmare at the top of his game that gave the Mahomes and the Chiefs offense an advantage basically the rest of the NFL didn’t have.

    The Chiefs have to find a weapon like that during the offseason or else it’s not going to get much better, if at all.

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