If you’re hunting for what the score of the Chiefs game today is, there’s a blunt reality to face: there isn’t one. Today is Sunday, January 18, 2026, and while the NFL Divisional Round is currently tearing up the turf in cities like Foxborough and Chicago, the Kansas City Chiefs are nowhere to be found.
It’s weird, right? For years, this weekend was basically a national holiday in Missouri. You just assumed Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid would be hosting some high-stakes battle at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Not this time. The Chiefs finished their 2025-2026 campaign with a 6-11 record, a far cry from the dynasty vibes we’ve grown used to. Instead of a playoff score, fans are left looking at a final regular-season tally from a few weeks ago—a 14-12 loss to the Raiders that served as the final nail in a frustrating season.
Where are the Chiefs today?
Honestly, the "score" for the Chiefs today is basically a zero. They are officially in offseason mode. While the Houston Texans are taking on the New England Patriots at 3:00 PM ET, and the Los Angeles Rams face the Chicago Bears later tonight, the Kansas City roster is likely scattered across the country. Some players are probably hitting the golf course; others are likely in early recovery mode for nagging injuries that plagued the team all through December.
It’s a bizarre feeling. This is the first time in nearly a decade that the AFC playoffs don't run through Kansas City. The 6-11 finish put them third in the AFC West, trailing behind a dominant Denver Broncos team (14-3) and a surging Chargers squad.
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What went wrong this season?
To understand why there’s no score to report today, you have to look at the wreckage of the last few months. It wasn't just one thing. It was a "perfect storm" of bad breaks.
- Offensive Stagnation: The magic felt... gone. Mahomes still had flashes of greatness, but the consistency wasn't there.
- Injuries: Key pieces of the offensive line and the secondary spent more time on the trainer's table than on the field.
- The Division Got Better: The AFC West isn't the cakewalk it used to be. Denver found a rhythm that Mahomes and company just couldn't match this year.
The season ended on a brutal seven-game losing streak. They haven't won a game since November 23rd, when they squeaked out an overtime victory against the Colts. Since then? Losses to Dallas, Houston, LA, Tennessee, Denver, and Las Vegas. It’s been a long, cold winter for the Kingdom.
Looking ahead to the 2026 schedule
Since you aren't getting a score today, the next best thing is looking at who they'll be facing when they return in the fall. The 2026 opponents are already set, even if the dates aren't. Because the Chiefs finished third in their division, their schedule actually looks a little more manageable for a bounce-back year.
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They’ll have their usual home-and-away battles with the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers. Outside of the AFC West, they’re slated to host the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and the San Francisco 49ers. That 49ers game is already being circled by every analyst in the country as a potential "get right" game for Mahomes.
On the road, things get tougher. They’ll be traveling to Buffalo, Miami, Cincinnati, and Seattle. Taking on the Bills at Highmark Stadium is never a picnic, and the Bengals are always a thorn in Kansas City’s side.
What should fans do now?
Basically, the "score" that matters right now isn't on a scoreboard—it's in the draft capital and cap space. The Chiefs have the opportunity to reload. With a third-place finish, they’ll have a higher draft pick than they’ve had in years. This is where the front office has to earn their paychecks.
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If you’re still itching for football today, you’ve got two great options:
- Texans at Patriots: (3:00 PM ET on ABC/ESPN)
- Rams at Bears: (6:30 PM ET on NBC/Peacock)
It’s a different world when the Chiefs aren't playing in mid-January. It’s quieter. But if history tells us anything, a frustrated Patrick Mahomes is usually a dangerous one. The 2025 season might be over, but the work for the 2026 comeback has already started.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close eye on the NFL Scouting Combine in late February and the free agency window opening in March. These are the dates that will determine if the score of next year's January game looks a lot better than the silence we have today.
Check the current NFL playoff bracket to see who is still in the hunt for Super Bowl LX, and start tracking the draft projections for the top ten picks to see which playmakers might be heading to Kansas City to fix the offensive woes.