For the second straight game a Chiefs starting quarterback left with a knee injury.
Chiefs backup Gardner Minshew, who was starting in place of Patrick Mahomes, left in the second quarter of Sunday’s 26-9 road loss to the Titans with a knee injury.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid had no immediate update regarding the severity of the injury but several reports later said it could be an ACL injury.
“We don’t have any results, but we’ll get that when he has a chance to have an MRI on it,” Reid said in his postgame press conference.
Minshew was 3 for 8 for 15 yards before being injured. He was replaced by third-stringer Chris Oladokun, who was elevated from the practice squad this week. Oladokun finished 11 of 16 for 111 yards.
The Chiefs (6-9) were hoping Minshew would start the last three games and somehow help them avoid a losing season while making a case to return next year to backup Mahomes. But now the team likely will turn to Oladokun the last two games, and they must do so with a quick turnaround as the Chiefs play the Broncos on Christmas Night.
“Praying for not only Pat and what happened last week, but also Gardner,” Oladokun said. “We don’t know the severity of the injury yet, but our QB room is so close. And so when you see good friends go down like that it’s really tough.”
Originally drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round in 2022, Oladokun has been with the Chiefs off and on for the last four years but had played just once previously — in the regular-season finale last year against the Broncos. He didn’t throw a pass and had one run for five yards.
Oladokun, though, moved the ball at times against the Titans and made some plays with his arm and legs.
“Being here for four years you always walk through when your first moment is going to be and when you’re going to get an opportunity,” Oladokun said. “I’ve really just attacked these last four years like you never know.
“Today just happened to be an opportunity for me, and I wanted to take full advantage of it.”
