The Chiefs’ disappointing 2025 season could effectively come to an end on Sunday, when a loss combined with wins by three other AFC teams would eliminate Kansas City from playoff contention.
There are many scenarios that could find the Chiefs mathematically eliminated on Sunday, but the simplest is this: If the Chiefs lose to the Chargers, the Bills beat the Patriots, the Jaguars beat the Jets and the Texans beat the Cardinals, then the Chiefs will not make the playoffs.
In that scenario, the Chiefs would fall to 6-8 and would have already clinched finishing behind the Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Chargers, Bills and Texans in the AFC standings. That would leave only one remaining AFC playoff spot, and that’s the spot that will go to the winner of the AFC North.
And that’s not the only scenario in which the Chiefs would be eliminated on Sunday, just the one that’s most likely to happen. Swap out the Colts beating the Seahawks with the Texans beating the Cardinals, for instance, and the Chiefs are eliminated that way, too.
Even if the Chiefs win all four of their remaining games, a lot has to go right in other games for them to leapfrog enough teams currently ahead of them in the standings to make the playoffs. They’re a long shot, and even their long-shot chance may come to an end on Sunday.
