Dolphins Won't Get Any Mahomes Help for Playoff Push

The Miami Dolphins' unlikely path the playoffs requires, among other things, the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the Denver Broncos in Week 18

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meets with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) following the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

If the Miami Dolphins are to (almost) miraculously sneak into the playoffs, they'll need help from the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18, but they apparently won't be getting it from Patrick Mahomes.

As widely suspected based on precedent, the Chiefs are expected to sit Mahomes and potentially other front-line players like Travis Kelce when they face the Denver Broncos in their regular season finale, according to FOX reporter Peter Schrager.

Carson Wentz is expected to start for the Chiefs next week. How will that potentially impact the teams making a final playoff push? @PSchrags explains: pic.twitter.com/st01IXVyOa

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 29, 2024

The Chiefs already have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and are more concerned about staying healthy for a run at a three-peat than defeating the Denver Broncos. That means protecting Mahomes from a potential injury and using backup Carson Wentz in the game instead.

That's bad news for the Dolphins, whose path to the playoffs requires a Denver loss, along with victories in their own final two games, plus one Indianapolis Colts over the final two games.

The Broncos missed an opportunity to clinch the final AFC playoff spot Saturday when they dropped a 27-24 overtime decision against the Cincinnati Bengals in a wild game at Paycor Stadium.

CHIEFS FOLLOWING A POPULAR PATTERN

The Chiefs became the seventh team since 2018 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC or NFL playoffs and will be the sixth to sit its starting quarterback in its regular season finale, the one exception being the 2021 Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

And the won-loss record in the final week for those six teams is 1-5, the only victory produced by the 2019 Baltimore Ravens, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers with Robert Griffin III at quarterback and Lamar Jackson watching from the sideline.

The Chiefs' previous three No. 1 seeds included one in 2020 where they clinched befofe the final week of the regular, and the next week they sat Mahomes, defensive star Tyrann Mathieu and (you might recognize the name) Tyreek Hill.

Another current Dolphins player, Terron Armstead, was in that situation in 2018 when the New Orleans sat him, along with Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara for their finale against Carolina after clinching the No. 1 seed.

Yet another current Dolphins player was on the other side of this, and this was Tyler "Snoop" Huntley starting at quarterback for the Ravens last season for their finale against Pittsburgh after they already had clinched the No. 1 seed (with a victory against the Dolphins). The Ravens lost that game, with the victory putting Pittsburgh into the playoffs.

The other No. 1 seed in the 2023 playoffs went to the San Francisco 49ers, they also clinched early, and they also sat players (Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, among others) for their meaningless finale.