Chiefs-Titans: 5 things to watch in Week 16 matchup

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) were officially eliminated from the AFC playoff race last Sunday with a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a brutal loss made worse by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes tearing his ACL. The injury leaves the Chiefs little to play for the rest of this season.

In Week 16, the team will take on the Tennessee Titans (2-12) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at noon Arrowhead time. This could be one of the most lackluster games of the NFL slate. The Titans are poised for a high draft pick and a new head coach this offseason, and they will look to build around rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

Here are five things to watch in Sunday’s game:

Backup quarterback and journeyman Gardner Minshew will replace Mahomes. After coming off the bench against the Chargers, Minshew threw an interception that sealed Kansas City’s fate.

The Chiefs are Minshew’s fifth team in seven seasons; he has a 17-29 record as a starter. Last season, he started nine games for the Las Vegas Raiders and threw nine touchdowns, ten interceptions and completed 66% of his passes.

This week, Minshew could be without several key players around him, including a makeshift offensive line. Still, it is a chance for him to audition for the backup role in 2026, which is a more important position to consider than ever for Kansas City.

2. Chiefs’ inactive list

With nothing left to play for this season, the Chiefs should be smart with how starters are decided. This week’s injury report was littered with key players like wide receiver Rashee Rice (concussion), offensive tackles Jayon Moore (knee) and Jawaan Taylor (elbow), linebacker Leo Chenal (shoulder), defensive tackle Chris Jones (hamstring), and cornerback Trent McDuffie (knee). All were limited at practice or not participating at all.

Earlier in the week, the Chiefs elevated defensive tackle Zacch Pickens to the active roster from the practice squad when the team officially placed Mahomes on the Reserve/Injured list.

Kansas City will likely make more moves from the practice squad before kickoff to fill out the roster, and it should allow some of the underrated names to showcase what they can do.

3. First look at Jalen Royals

With it becoming unlikely Rice and wide receiver Xavier Worthy play this week, rookie Jalen Royals should be the next man up in the receiving rotation.

He has only played 35 offensive snaps over four games this season. In Week 4, Royals had his first and only touch: a 30-yard kickoff return against the Baltimore Ravens.

The fourth-round pick from Utah State has been buried in the depth chart, but this is the perfect opportunity for him to gain needed experience and put on a performance for the staff to evaluate. Based on his draft evaluation, Royals projects to be a slot receiver that threatens defenses after the catch while also having the speed to attack vertically.

The Chiefs have an interesting situation unfolding at linebacker heading into the 2026 offseason. While middle linebacker Nick Bolton is under contract for the foreseeable future, Leo Chenal is a free agent, and Drue Tranquill could be a cap casualty. Per Spotrac, the Chiefs could save $6 million by releasing Tranquill this offseason.

Bolton is one of the most-played linebackers in the NFL, so he could benefit from rest, but Tranquill and Chenal’s undecided futures should lead Kansas City to wanting to see what the young linebackers have to offer.

Rookie linebacker Jeffrey Bassa has only played 13 defensive snaps this season, so it will be interesting to see if he steps in for Tranquill to play the WILL linebacker position at some point during the season’s final weeks.

This will also be a chance for special teams standouts Jack Conchrane and Cooper McDonald to prove themselves as worthwhile depth pieces ahead of 2026.

With tight funds and the need to invest draft capital in other positions, the Chiefs will have some decisions to make about linebackers over the next few weeks and months.

5. Giving Zacch Pickens a look

With a high probability that Chris Jones does not play at full capacity, there is a chance that Pickens will make his debut for Kansas City.

The Chiefs signed Pickens to the practice squad following the conclusion of training camp in August. Pickens was elevated to the active roster for the first time this past week against Los Angeles, but he did not play. Pickens was the 64th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the Chicago Bears released him after only two seasons.

In college at South Carolina, Pickens profiled as an athletic lineman who specializes in penetrating the offensive line from the three-technique positions along the interior.

Ultimately, the fit was not made to be, but when the Bears released him, the Chiefs were quick to pick him up. Pickens fits the mold of the “Veach special” as a player who couldn’t live up to his draft status on another team, but a player the Chiefs are willing to give a chance to

Pickens will have a chance to play, and if he performs well, he might gain some ground among a position group needing to improve ahead of 2026.