KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs know they will be playing out the final three games of the season without Patrick Mahomes, who had surgery Monday night to repair the torn left ACL that he sustained in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that eliminated them from playoff contention.
That much is clear.
The rest of the future is far more hazy for an organization that for the past decade has been playing well into January, and often into February, and then spent the offseason simply reinforcing a brilliant but suddenly aging core of star players.
Will Mahomes sufficiently recover by the start of next season? Will tight end Travis Kelce retire? And coach Andy Reid, for that matter? Will general manager Brett Veach finally hit on some skill position talent, especially in the early rounds of the draft? And can the Chiefs find someone — anyone — who is capable of pressuring the quarterback on an every-down basis?
''You know, I'm always optimistic about going forward,'' Reid said Monday. ''Brett Veach does a heck of a job with bringing in players. You can see now with the guys playing. And then it's our responsibility on the coaching side of it, and the players taking responsibility on their end, and playing these three games, and whoever is here after to retool it.''
The finishing kick begins with a trip to lowly Tennessee on Sunday.
Kelce recently said he would inform the Chiefs on whether he plans to retire by early March, before the start of free agency, so they have a chance to plan accordingly. Role players such as wide receiver Marquise Brown, running back Isiah Pacheco, cornerback Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook are pending free agents, and there are holes throughout the roster.
The most pressing needs are at wide receiver, where Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy have failed to take the next step into becoming a No. 1 target; running back, where Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have failed to provide any pop; and defensive end, where the Chiefs have struggled to generate a pass rush throughout the season.
