Just in: What Happened to Patrick Mahomes? Breaking Down Why Gardner Minshew II Is Playing for Chiefs in Week 7 vs. Raiders….

The Truth Revealed: What Happened to Patrick Mahomes?

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 7 victory over the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders ended with an unusual sight: backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II taking over the offense. However, the reason for this highly-publicized switch was not due to injury or poor performance, but a clear case of pure, unadulterated dominance and a desire to rub salt in the Raiders’ wounds.

No Injury Scare: Mahomes is Thriving

Chiefs fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Patrick Mahomes is not injured, nor was he benched for poor play. In fact, he is having one of the best stretches of his career this season and was removed from the game entirely due to the Chiefs’ massive lead.

The Blowout: The Chiefs entered the fourth quarter with an insurmountable lead over the Raiders. Mahomes was pulled from the game late in the third quarter—up 31-0—because the Chiefs were so confident in their chances of winning that they chose to give their franchise quarterback the rest of the day off.

Mahomes’ Dominance: Before being benched, Mahomes had a huge day, completing 26-of-35 pass attempts for 286 yards and three touchdowns. This performance continued a trend that saw him named “AFC Offensive Player of the Week” twice in the last three weeks, proving he is playing at an MVP level.

The Message: Benching Mahomes early in a divisional matchup is the ultimate power move, a clear way for Head Coach Andy Reid to signal to the Raiders that the game was officially over.

The Twist: Minshew’s Role in the Humiliation

The decision to put Gardner Minshew II in the game added a special layer of insult to the Raiders, who have struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position for years.

The Former Raider: Minshew joined the Chiefs after spending a season as the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2024. His tenure with the Raiders did not pan out, and he was released after suffering a broken collarbone.

Rubbing Salt in the Wound: Having Minshew—the Raiders’ most recent starting QB—come in to finish a blowout against his former team was a calculated act of humiliation. As one observer put it, the Chiefs found a “brand new way to embarrass the Raiders.”

The Backup’s Role: Minshew was signed to be a veteran backup for Mahomes, and barring injury, the only time he is expected to see the field is in situations like this: when the outcome is completely decided.

Fantasy and Future Implications

Mahomes’ Outlook: Mahomes continues to thrive, even with the Chiefs offense having faced some questions about playmaking earlier in the year. He remains a top-tier fantasy asset, and his offensive unit, especially with the return of receiver Rashee Rice from suspension, looks “like the Chiefs again.”

The AFC West: The Raiders were simply “outmatched,” proving that the Chiefs continue to dominate the AFC West division.

The Chiefs’ victory was comprehensive, with the early benching of Patrick Mahomes serving as the definitive sign that the Chiefs had the game wrapped up against their rivals.