The Chiefs have already been eliminated from the 2025 NFL playoffs, and it happened in Week 15. Their elimination was a combination of their own loss plus wins by key AFC rivals.
What already happened
Kansas City lost 16–13 to the Los Angeles Chargers in a must‑win game, which put them on the brink. On the same day, the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans all won their games, which removed every remaining mathematical path for the Chiefs to reach a wild‑card or division spot.
General way a team is eliminated
In the NFL, a team is eliminated when there is no remaining combination of results that allows it to finish high enough in the standings, either by winning its division or earning a wild‑card. This usually happens when the necessary mix of that team’s losses plus other contenders’ wins exceeds what can be made up with the games left on the schedule.
Chiefs’ specific scenario
For the Chiefs in Week 15, the specific scenario was: a loss to the Chargers, plus a Bills win or tie, plus a Jaguars win or tie, plus a Texans win. When all of those results occurred, Kansas City’s maximum possible record could no longer catch or win tiebreakers over enough teams in the AFC field, so they were officially out.
