Chiefs’ Gardner Minshew receives massive offseason injury update

The Kansas City Chiefs had a disastrous 2025 season. Kansas City took a huge step back, finishing the regular season 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. To make matters worse, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL injury that could linger into 2026. But another Chiefs player got a positive injury update just one month after the regular season.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a surprise update on Gardner Minshew’s injury status on Wednesday.

“As it turns out, Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew did not tear his ACL as initially feared, per source. It turned out to be a bone bruise that did not require any surgery. Minshew didn’t suffer any long-term damage to the knee and he already is back to full strength as he prepares to head to free agency.”

Minshew was knocked out of Week 16 against the Titans just one week after Mahomes’ ACL injury.

Kansas City initially feared that Minshew had also suffered an ACL tear. But further testing revealed that Minshew’s ACL was completely intact.

The update that Minshew is already back at full strength is great news heading into the offseason.

As Schefter noted, Minshew is currently slated to enter free agency. However, he could be a tempting player for Kansas City to re-sign.

Mahomes is bound to miss some time as he recovers from his torn ACL. The Chiefs could certainly benefit from a wily veteran like Minshew who can hold down the fort while Mahomes recovers.

Minshew’s prior experience in Kansas City could give him an edge over other quarterbacks.

Either way, Kansas City’s offense could look a lot different when the 2026 season kicks off. The Chiefs replaced Matt Nagy with Eric Bieniemy at offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy is a familiar face in Kansas City, but the roster could look a lot different on Week 1. Especially if Mahomes is on the sidelines.

There’s also the question of whether or not Travis Kelce will retire from the NFL.

Good or bad, there’s no doubt that the 2026 offseason will be full of surprises for Chiefs fans.

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