Gardner Minshew injury update: Chiefs get bad news; Chris Oladokun playing vs Titans

Gardner Minshew injury update: The Kansas City Chiefs’ late-season struggles deepened Sunday as quarterback Minshew was forced into a questionable status

Published on: Dec 22, 2025, 24:56:11 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Gardner Minshew injury update: The Kansas City Chiefs’ late-season struggles deepened Sunday as quarterback Minshew was forced into a questionable status with a knee injury, further complicating an already bleak situation for the team.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans (AP)

Kansas City had turned to Minshew after Patrick Mahomes was lost for the season with a torn ACL, but that contingency plan is now in doubt. With Minshew sidelined, the Chiefs were compelled to elevate third-string emergency quarterback Chris Oladokun into action.

Minshew exited after completing three passes for 15 yards before suffering the injury. At that point, the Titans had opened the scoring with a safety, while the Chiefs responded with a field goal to take a 3-2 lead early in the game.

Oladokun, who has been with Kansas City since 2022 primarily as a practice squad quarterback, now finds himself in an unexpected spotlight. His appearance raises questions about whether the Chiefs may need to explore additional quarterback options to finish out the season, depending on the severity of Minshew’s injury.

Mahomes’ earlier ACL tear effectively ended Kansas City’s playoff hopes, and the expectation had been that Minshew could at least stabilize the offense down the stretch. With two weeks remaining and injuries mounting at quarterback, that plan is rapidly unraveling, underscoring just how difficult the season’s closing chapter has become for the Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs depth chart

Offense

QB: Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew

RB: Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith

WR: Rashee Rice, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Royals

WR: Xavier Worthy, Nikko Remigio

WR: Hollywood Brown, Tyquan Thornton

TE: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Robert Tonyan, Jared Wiley

LT: Jaylon Moore, Esa Pole

LG: Kingsley Suamataia, Mike Caliendo, Hunter Nourzad

C: Creed Humphrey, Hunter Nourzad, Mike Caliendo

RG: Trey Smith, C.J. Hanson, Hunter Nourzad

RT: Jawaan Taylor, Jaylon Moore, Esa Pole

Defense

DE: Mike Danna, Ashton Gillotte

DT: Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel

DT: Chris Jones, Jerry Tillery

DE: George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu

LB: Drue Tranquill, Jeffrey Bassa

LB: Nick Bolton, Jack Cochrane

LB: Leo Chenal, Cooper McDonald

CB: Trent McDuffie, Nohl Williams, Kevin Knowles

CB: Jaylen Watson, Kristian Fulton, Joshua Williams

S: Bryan Cook, Jaden Hicks

S: Chamarri Conner, Mike Edwards

Special Teams

K: Harrison Butker

H: Matt Araiza

P: Matt Araiza

LS: James Winchester

PR: Nikko Remigio, Tyquan Thornton

KR: Nikko Remigio, Brashard Smith, Tyquan Thornton

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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