“Someone check that Arrowhead turf” “Trade for Tua Tagovailoa”: NFL fans react as Gardner Minshew suffers knee injury vs. Titans

The Kansas City Chiefs turned to Gardner Minshew as the starting quarterback in the Week 16 game against the Tennessee Titans after Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury. However, Minshew’s audition lasted only four drives before injury ruled him out of the game.

Following the opening drive of the encounter on Sunday, Minshew looked noticeably hobbled. On just the third play of the game, the quarterback scrambled and crumpled to the turf in what looked like a non-contact injury. He clutched his left knee and limped off the field.

However, Gardner Minshew toughed it out for the next couple of possessions, but he clearly couldn’t plant or move properly on his passing drops. He was subsequently checked on the sideline by the medical staff before being pulled from the game before halftime.

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At the time of his exit, Minshew had completed just 3 of 8 passes for 15 yards with the Chiefs losing the game 16-6. The Chiefs turned to third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun following his exit from the game. Noah Gray is the next in line should something happen to Oladokun.

The exit of Gardner Minshew from the Week 16 game has generated a lot of reactions from NFL fans around the Chiefs' quarterback room. With two top signal callers out, fans are suggesting a lot of options for the team. Here's a look at some of the reactions online:

Gardner Minshew had high hopes for his first start of 2025

Before his game ended abruptly, Gardner Minshew was hoping to audition to remain the backup option for the Chiefs with the remaining games of the regular season. The quarterback spoke about the starting opportunity in his media availability on Friday

“It's an opportunity to step in and do my job,” Minshew said. “There’s a lot of guys that put a ton of work into this, and I owe it to them, I owe it to the special staff, this team, Danny Bates, to go out and do my best to get the best results for me.”

Minshew also discussed how he’s building chemistry with his receivers.

“Just getting used to guys seeing the ball come out of your hands, seeing how different guys come out of breaks, how guys change speed, all that little stuff,” Minshew said. “Just getting a feel for how these guys move, how they see the game, and just trying to put them in the best position to help us win.”

The extent of Gardner Minshew's injury remains unknown at this moment. The Chiefs will be hoping he recovers during the week and can play the final two games of the season.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf