The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to be heading into the 2026 season without their franchise quarterback.
Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL during the final drive of the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
4
Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury in Week 15 against the ChargersCredit: Getty
The defeat served as a double blow, as the loss officially eliminated Kansas City from NFL Playoff contention for the first time since 2015.
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, is now sidelined with the first significant injury of his career, and the expected recovery timeline is around nine-months.
While the Chiefs were struggling to put together a winning run, their QB was having another solid season, with 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions through 15 weeks.
Mahomes will no doubt be desperate to get back on the field in 2026, with some unfinished business.
MORE ON THE CHIEFS
He is ambitious about his recovery time, claiming he wants to be back by Week 1 of the 2026 season, but the Chiefs are making sure they don’t get caught short.
Chiefs sign former Saints QB to reserve futures contract
On Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the franchise is signing former New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener to their offseason roster.
The NFL’s transactional report confirmed the 26-year-old will be on a reserve/future contract, meaning the deal will become official when the league year starts on March 11.
Haener started his college career in Washington before transferring to Fresno State, where he took the field with fellow Chiefs players Nikko Remigio and Tre Watson.
The Saints selected him with the 127th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but his career didn’t get off to an ideal start.
He was handed a six-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, which ultimately resulted in him not taking a snap in his rookie year.
4
Haener grew up a Saints fan and idolized Drew BreesCredit: Getty
4
He has joined the Chiefs as Mahomes targets a Week 1 return in 2026Credit: Getty
In 2024, Haener appeared in eight games, and actually faced off against the Chiefs, inspiring New Orleans to a late comeback.
With 1:22 left on the play clock, and in the Chiefs red-zone, Haener fired his only career touchdown pass to Ellis Merriweather, bringing New Orleans within two points of taking the lead.
The Saints would fail the two-point conversion but intercepted a pass on the very next play, resulting in the game-winning field goal.
Despite that big moment, Haener spent the entirety of 2025 on the practice squad in New Orleans.
For his career, he has completed 18 passes for 229 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Haener’s presence does not change expectations that Kansas City will seek a veteran backup to run the offseason program.
4
Haeners one touchdown pass of his career came against the ChiefsCredit: Getty
Even with his signing, the Chiefs may add to the room in the later rounds of April’s draft or by aggressively signing one of the top remaining arms in undrafted free agency — despite a $55m black hole.
Read More on talkSPORT
All eyes will be on Mahomes recovery, and how bringing back OC Eric Bieniemy could take Kansas City to the top once again.
Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.