Micah Parsons, Patrick Mahomes injuries headline Week 15 in the NFL

Sunday’s NFL slate was particularly high in terms of attrition.

With just three weeks until the end of the regular season – and less than a month until the start of the playoffs – the importance of each game only increases. And that means serious injuries suffered by several star players in Week 15 could be major factors down the stretch.

Here are some of the players who fell on Sunday – and the consequences of their injuries.

Patrick Mahomes

Instead of pulling off another signature return, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ended his season prematurely with a torn ACL in the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Mahomes was heading into Chargers territory with less than two minutes left when he injured his left knee. Five plays later, his replacement, Gardner Minshew, threw an interception that sealed the loss – eliminating Kansas City from the playoffs.

“I don’t know why this had to happen. And I’m not going to lie, it hurts,” Mahomes wrote on

The immediate consequences of the injury are obvious. Instead of Mahomes keeping the team’s season alive, the Chiefs will now miss the playoffs for the first time in his career. And now, depending in part on when he can undergo surgery, his status for the start of next season is also unclear.

Another player to watch: Travis Kelce, the legendary tight end close to Mahomes. Kelce, 36, is in the final year of his contract, and although he has bounced back from a mediocre 2024 season, he is still a lesser player than when he was a consistent 1,000-yard receiving option. Will Kelce be tempted to play another year to go out on a better note with Mahomes?

Micah Parsons

There are concerns that Green Bay Packers star passer Micah Parsons may also have torn an ACL, a source told NBC Sports’ Mike Florio.

Parsons was injured late in the third quarter of the Packers’ 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos. As Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said after the game, Parsons’ injury is a “double whammy.”

The Packers are 9-4-1 and in the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC. They will travel to Chicago next week to face the Bears, a game that will have huge implications in the playoff race. With a win, Green Bay could win the division and host a playoff game. In the event of a loss, the Packers could risk falling out of the playoff picture entirely.

A plus for Green Bay? He holds a tiebreaker against the eighth-ranked Detroit Lions, who also lost on Sunday. A minus? The Packers will also have to face a desperate Baltimore Ravens team in Week 17 and hit the road to face the Minnesota Vikings to end the regular season.

“It’s obviously tough,” LaFleur said of Parsons. “We all know what kind of player he is and the impact he had on our football team. Losing someone like that is tough. But no one is going to feel sorry for us. We have to find a way. Guys have to rally around each other.”

Davante Adams

Don’t worry, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams didn’t tear his ACL. But he was lame with a hamstring injury in the second half of the Rams’ 41-34 win over the Lions, and the timing is brutal.

Adams played a major role in Los Angeles’ offense this season, catching 60 passes for 789 yards and 14 touchdowns. The team appears to be in doubt about its ability to prepare for its next game, as the Rams have a short turnaround before a Thursday night showdown on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

“I can’t imagine it being good for Thursday with the short time, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out right now,” Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay said after the game. “But it didn’t look good.”

Thursday’s game is another game with big consequences. The winner will take the lead in the NFC West, while the loser will find themselves in a wild card spot. A Rams win would put them in control of the division crown, as Los Angeles would then also hold the tiebreaker against the Seahawks.

If the Rams lose, they could still win the division and make a playoff game, but they would need help from others in that scenario. A loss on Thursday could ultimately be the difference between the second seed or fifth seed for Los Angeles or Seattle.