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If you woke up today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, wondering who won the Kansas City game today, you might be surprised to find that the scoreboard at Arrowhead is completely dark. There wasn't a game. Not in Kansas City, anyway.
Football fans are used to seeing Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid deep in the playoff mix this time of year. It's basically a January tradition. But the 2025-2026 season went sideways in a way nobody really saw coming. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Chiefs are watching the Divisional Round from their couches.
The reality is pretty jarring. The Chiefs finished their season two weeks ago with a 14-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. That loss put a pin in a frustrating 6-11 campaign. While teams like the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills are currently duking it out for a spot in the AFC Championship, Kansas City is already looking toward the 2026 NFL Draft.
Where the Chiefs Season Went Wrong
Usually, by mid-January, we're talking about AFC Championship home-field advantage. Not this year. The Chiefs missed the playoffs entirely after a late-season collapse that saw them lose six straight games to end the year.
It’s kinda wild to think about. Mahomes spent a chunk of the season dealing with injury rehab, and though he's eyeing a Week 1 return for next season, the "next man up" philosophy didn't quite bridge the gap. We saw Shane Buechele and Chris Oladokun under center during that Week 18 finale in Las Vegas. They played hard. Buechele even hooked up with Hollywood Brown for a 51-yard bomb that nearly won the game. But a 60-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson with eight seconds left basically summed up the Chiefs' entire luck this year.
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They ended up 3rd in the AFC West. That’s a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing in 2026. The Denver Broncos took the division with a 14-3 record and are currently the team to beat in the playoffs.
Watching Former Chiefs in Today's Playoffs
Even though there’s no Kansas City game today, you’ll still see some familiar faces if you flip on the Divisional Round matchups. Mecole Hardman, a hero of past Chiefs Super Bowls, actually made a huge play for the Buffalo Bills today against the Denver Broncos.
Hardman caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen. The kicker? They ran the "Corn Dog" play. You know the one—the exact same motion-heavy play the Chiefs used to beat the Eagles and 49ers in back-to-back Super Bowls. Seeing a former Chief score against a division rival using Andy Reid's signature play is a tough pill for the Kingdom to swallow.
What the 2026 Schedule Looks Like
Since they aren't playing today, the focus has shifted entirely to the future. The NFL has already released the opponents for the 2026 season. It’s a gauntlet. Because of how the rotation works, the Chiefs are slated to face the AFC East and the NFC West next year.
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2026 Home Games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead:
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Arizona Cardinals
- Indianapolis Colts
- New York Jets
- New England Patriots
- San Francisco 49ers
2026 Road Trips:
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
It’s going to be a long road back. Honestly, the lack of a game today is a massive wake-up call for a franchise that has been the gold standard for so long. Travis Kelce did manage to make some history before the season ended, passing Terrell Owens for eighth-most catches in NFL history, but personal records don't hit the same when you're out of the hunt by mid-December.
Actionable Steps for Chiefs Fans
If you’re feeling the void of no Chiefs football today, here is how you can stay locked in during the offseason:
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Track the Mahomes Rehab: Keep an eye on the official team reports. Patrick Mahomes is the engine of this team, and his recovery from the injuries that hampered him late in the season is the number one priority for the front office.
Scout the Draft: The Chiefs are picking much higher than they usually do. With a 6-11 record, they’ll have a premium selection. Many analysts are looking at offensive line depth or a potential blue-chip defensive tackle to help Chris Jones.
Watch the Divisional Round: Even if it’s painful, watching how the Broncos and Bills are operating gives you a good look at what the Chiefs have to overcome next September. The AFC is getting faster, and the "Corn Dog" play being used by other teams shows the league has finally caught up to the scheme.
The answer to who won the Kansas City game today is simply that the season is over. But for a team with this much championship DNA, the rebuild for 2026 started the second that field goal went through the uprights in Vegas.