KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. He serves as KSHB 41's digital reporter for all Chiefs games. Share your story idea with Tod.
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A despondent Patrick Mahomes sat, arms folded in his lap with a 1,000-yard stare, for several minutes at his locker Sunday night.
“You’re just getting late in the season and you’re not going to get these opportunities back,” Mahomes said.
It was approaching 11 p.m. and the Chiefs had just suffered a 20-10 defeat against the Houston Texans, a result that makes it difficult — but still not impossible — for Mahomes and company to reach the playoffs this season.
“Just having two more opportunities to go down and tie the football game and not doing it,” Mahomes said. “You’ve got to be able to make that stuff happen, and we haven’t done that enough this year.”
Rashee Rice dropped a sure fourth-down conversion in the closing minutes.
Kansas City trailed 17-10, but the defense forced a punt to give Mahomes another crack at the game-winning drive.
Two plays into that quest, it was Chiefs legend Travis Kelce’s turn to drop a pass — only this one bounced straight to linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, which led to a short field goal and an insurmountable two-score lead with 30 seconds left.
If Rice or Kelce hang onto either ball, who knows? If Tyquan Thornton comes down with Mahomes’ 50-yard bomb in the third quarter, maybe the game ends differently?
“We’ve been close all season, but, at the end of the day, you’ve got to go out there and make it happen,” said Mahomes, who finished 14 of 33 for 160 with no touchdowns and three interceptions. “I’ve got to make the throw a little earlier (to Thornton) so the guy can’t close. We’ve got to make those plays; we’ve got to score touchdowns in these moments. We’ve got the talent; we’ve got the heart. But we have to go out there and execute it. Until we prove it, we’ll come away with losses.”
That’s how it’s gone for Kansas City in 2025 — and why Mahomes seemed lost in his thoughts, contemplating an unthinkable early end to the season.
As somber Chiefs players milled about, the locker room fell eerily silent.
There was no music and, even with dozens of reporters milling about in the center of the room, few players had much to say.
The generally upbeat Mahomes — who is usually chatty after games, offering encouragement and praise to passing teammates even after losses — mostly sat silent after showering and getting dressed.
Mahomes unrolled his socks and worked them onto his feet and tied his sneakers, barely noticing as teammates walked by and off into a cold, dark Kansas City night.
“We put everything into these games every game, so, when you lose, you should be upset,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “That’s why you try to enjoy the wins when you have an opportunity.”
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