Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in a recent home loss that also eliminated the Kansas City Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time since 2014, ending a decade of postseason consistency and division dominance.Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert played through a broken hand and Derwin James Jr. made a decisive late interception after Gardner Minshew replaced Mahomes, while the Chargers celebrated the sweep on social media with a mocking "SpongeBob SquarePants" meme and the Chiefs slipped to 6–8.Travis Kelce declined to speak to reporters, Chris Jones spoke for a reticent locker room with the observation that "Success is rented every year," and Mahomes is exploring surgery after an MRI confirmed the injury, a loss that will force difficult offseason roster and salary-cap choices.