If you're looking for a live score right now because you think the Chiefs are playing in a high-stakes playoff game today, January 17, 2026, I've got some pretty jarring news. The Kansas City Chiefs are not playing today. In fact, they aren’t even in the playoffs.
For the first time in what feels like a lifetime—specifically after a decade of dominance—the Chiefs watched the postseason from their couches. The scoreboard you might be looking for doesn't exist today because their season unceremoniously ended two weeks ago. Honestly, it’s still weird to say out loud.
Why the Chiefs Score Is Zero Today
While the rest of the AFC is beating each other up in the Divisional Round (like the Bills and Broncos battling it out at Mile High), Kansas City is already deep into offseason evaluations. Their final score of the 2025-2026 season was a 14-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on January 4th.
That game was a microcosm of their entire year. They finished with a 6-11 record.
Let that sink in. A team led by Patrick Mahomes and coached by Andy Reid went five games under .500. It wasn't just one thing that went wrong; it was a perfect storm of injuries, a struggling offensive line, and a receiving corps that never quite found its rhythm.
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A Season That Fell Apart
The decline wasn't immediate. They actually looked okay early on, but the wheels fell off in December. They lost their last six games in a row. You read that right. Six.
- Week 14: Lost to the Texans 20-10.
- Week 15: Dropped a close one to the Chargers 16-13.
- Week 16: Blown out by the Titans 26-9.
- Week 17: Fell to the Broncos 20-13 on Christmas Day.
- Week 18: The final nail in the coffin, losing 14-12 to a Raiders team that only had three wins at the time.
Basically, if you were searching for "what's the score on the chiefs" hoping for a playoff update, the reality is much bleaker for the Kingdom. They aren't just out; they finished last in the AFC West.
The Patrick Mahomes Factor
Everyone wants to know: what happened to Mahomes? He’s the best in the world, right? Well, the stats tell a story of a guy who was running for his life. By the end of the season, Mahomes wasn't even the one taking the snaps.
He dealt with a nagging ankle injury that eventually sidelined him for the final stretch. We saw a lot of Shane Buechele and Chris Oladokun in those last few weeks. Seeing anyone other than number 15 under center for the Chiefs in December felt like a glitch in the matrix.
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Even when Mahomes was healthy, the magic was missing. The deep ball was almost non-existent. Defenses played "shell" coverage, daring the Chiefs to run the ball, and while Isiah Pacheco had his moments, the consistency just wasn't there.
What’s Next for Kansas City?
So, the score on the Chiefs is effectively 0-0 until September. But the work starts now. They have a top-10 draft pick for the first time in ages.
The front office is looking at a massive rebuild of the offensive line. There are also looming questions about the roster's age. Travis Kelce is a legend, but even legends eventually feel the weight of a 17-game season.
Key Offseason Questions
- The Draft: Will they go for a franchise tackle or another weapon for Mahomes?
- Free Agency: Can they afford to keep the defense together? Chris Jones remains the heartbeat of that unit, but the cap space is getting tight.
- Coaching: Andy Reid isn't going anywhere, but expect some shake-ups in the assistant ranks.
If you’re a fan, today is a tough pill to swallow. Watching the Bills or the Texans celebrate while Arrowhead sits empty is a new kind of pain.
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To stay ahead of what's happening with the roster before the 2026 season kicks off, keep an eye on the official league transactions. The "score" for the next few months isn't measured in touchdowns—it's measured in salary cap savings and scouting reports.
Start by checking out the NFL Mock Draft boards that are already popping up. For a team like the Chiefs, the "win" today would be identifying the left tackle who can protect Mahomes for the next decade.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check the current NFL playoff bracket to see who is actually playing today, and follow the NFL Draft order to see exactly where the Chiefs land in the first round. Keep an eye on the injury reserve updates to see if Mahomes undergoes any offseason surgery to fix that ankle.