Injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons ruin NFL's Week 15

First, Patrick Mahomes went down. Then, it was Micah Parsons.

The NFL lost two of its all-time greatest players to serious knee injuries in a span of a few hours on Sunday, ruining a day filled with exciting comebacks and fascinating stories.

Forty-four-year-old Philip Rivers played his first game in 1,800 days and nearly led the 14-point underdog Indianapolis Colts to a stunning upset against Seattle before Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal with 29 seconds left to lift the Seahawks to an 18-16 victory.

Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills from a 21-0 deficit to a 35-31 victory at New England, snapping the Patriots’ 10-game winning streak and preventing them from clinching the AFC East.

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough rallied the New Orleans Saints to a 20-17 comeback victory over the Panthers capped by Charlie Smyth’s 47-yarder as time expired, damaging Carolina’s chances to win the NFC South and boosting Tampa Bay’s hopes.

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams overcame a 10-point deficit and rolled past the Lions 41-34, dampening Detroit’s playoff bid. The Rams lost three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to a hamstring injury in the game. He could miss Thursday night’s game at Seattle, a battle for first place in the NFC West.

Jalen Hurts played like the Super Bowl MVP and the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-0 rout over the woeful Las Vegas Raiders.

But the injuries to Mahomes and Parsons overshadowed everything else that happened in Week 15.

Even the Chiefs being eliminated from playoff contention was secondary to the news about Mahomes.

The three-time Super Bowl MVP tore the ACL in his left knee late in the fourth quarter of a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that ended Kansas City’s streak of 10 straight playoff appearances and seven consecutive trips to the AFC championship game.

“Don’t know why this had to happen,” Mahomes posted on social media before the diagnosis was announced. “And not going to lie it hurts. But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever.”

Parsons is believed to have suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, a person with knowledge of the All-Pro pass rusher’s injury told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the severity of the injury hadn’t been confirmed by tests.

“I’m sickened,” Parsons told the AP in a text message.

Parsons’ injury is a devastating blow to the Green Bay Packers, who lost 34-26 to Denver on Sunday to fall a half-game behind the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears.

Parsons was steps away from another sack when he suddenly pulled up and fell to the ground, grabbing at his left knee.

Asked about the possibility that Parsons tore his ACL, coach Matt LaFleur responded: “It doesn’t look good. I’ll leave it at that.”

With Parsons, the Packers were Super Bowl contenders. Without him, it’ll be much more difficult to get there. The Packers take on the Bears in a showdown for first place on Saturday night.

“We all know what type of player he is and the impact he’s had on our football team and to lose somebody like that, it’s tough,” LaFleur said. “Like I said, nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We’ve got to find a way and guys have got to rally around one another.”

Mahomes and Parsons will not only miss the rest of this season but their status for the start of 2026 is uncertain. Players typically return from ACL injuries in 9-12 months.

Running back Adrian Peterson tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on Dec. 24, 2011. He was back on the field for Week 1 the next season, ran for 2,097 yards in 16 games and became the last non-quarterback to win the NFL MVP award in one of the most remarkable comebacks in league history.

Quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL, LCL and sustained damage to his IT band and meniscus on Dec. 17, 2017 and ended up watching the Eagles win the first Super Bowl in franchise history from the sideline. He returned to the starting lineup in Week 3 the following season, and threw for 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 102.2 passer rating in 11 games.

If Mahomes and Parsons didn’t damage other ligaments, it increases the possibility they could return for the 2026 season opener.

Regardless, both star players have a long, grueling rehab ahead.

AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta and Pat Graham contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Green Bay Packers' Micah Parsons reacts after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is injured after being tackled by Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand (91) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins signed left-hander Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million contract to bring the veteran reliever back to his original team as part of a bullpen revamp Friday, while also finalizing a two-year, $14 million deal with catcher Victor Caratini.

Rogers and Caratini were at Target Field for their physical exams to make their signings official, after recently agreeing to terms. Rogers had a 3.15 ERA in 319 appearances over his first six major league seasons with the Twins, accumulating 361 strikeouts in 314 2/3 innings. He became a closer in 2019 and made the All-Star team in 2021.

“The Taylor Rogers we knew in ’18 and ’19 is going to be different than this guy, but he’s still a really good reliever and I think he’s going to have a big impact in our bullpen not only pitching-wise but with the ability to lead our group,” said new manager Derek Shelton, who was the bench coach for the Twins during part of Rogers' first stint with the club.

Over the last four years, Rogers has pitched for five teams. He was traded to the San Diego Padres right before the 2022 season and then to the Milwaukee Brewers right before the deadline. Rogers signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2023 to join his twin brother, Tyler Rogers, and was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in 2025. The Reds traded him to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline last summer.

The 35-year-old Rogers has a career 3.34 ERA in 566 relief appearances, with 626 strikeouts in 541 1/3 innings and 83 saves. Rogers, who was drafted by the Twins as a starter in the 11th round in 2012 out of Kentucky, was converted to relief just before his major league debut in 2016.

The Twins traded their top five relievers during the week leading up to the deadline last season: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland, Brock Stewart and Danny Coulombe. Rogers will mix in with bullpen holdovers Cole Sands, Justin Topa and Kody Funderburk.

“It’s the most obvious area of need coming into the offseason, something we feel like ‘Rog’ is a step in that direction, but help in that regard is going to come in all shapes and sizes," general manager Jeremy Zoll said ahead of the team's annual fan festival.

The 32-year-old Caratini, who will also be in the mix at first base and designated hitter while backing up catcher Ryan Jeffers, hit .259 in 2025 in his second season with the Houston Astros and set career bests with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 386 plate appearances.

The 32-year-old switch-hitter has a .244 batting average over nine major league seasons. The Twins will be his fifth different team. Among active catchers with a minimum of 3,500 innings behind the plate, Caratini's catcher ERA of 3.92 ranks eighth best in baseball.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Caratini and Rogers, the Twins designated right-handed reliever Pierson Ohl and catcher Jhonny Pereda for release or assignment.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

FILE - Houston Astros' Victor Caratini sprints to third during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas., Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

FILE - Chicago Cubs' Taylor Rogers throws during the eighth inning of Game 2 of a National League wild card baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley,File)