Dynasty News: Week 16 Updates

With dynasty managers focused on either next year or the fantasy playoffs in most dynasty leagues, we will look at the news through a longer-term lens. In today's "Dynasty News," we examine some of the week's larger happenings from a dynasty perspective. This is the time of year savvy dynasty managers can add value at a discount.

Dynasty News: QB Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs

It was a bad Sunday for Patrick Mahomes II and the Kansas City Chiefs, with Mahomes getting hurt and the team knocked out of playoff contention.

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes II, who suffered a left knee injury late in the loss to the #Chargers, will have an MRI to determine the security. Coach Andy Reid said it "didn't look good." And given where KC is in the season, extreme caution will be used. pic.twitter.com/WSmRPEYmtX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 14, 2025

The Chiefs later confirmed Mahomes' ACL injury:

Injury Update on QB Patrick Mahomes II:

An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes II sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today's game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 15, 2025

The Mahomes knee injury parallels that of Tom Brady. The similarities are uncanny:

History repeating: Both Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes II suffered torn ACLs in their 9th NFL seasons.

Both ACL injuries came the year after losing a Super Bowl, with both QBs already having won 3 Super Bowls prior to that. pic.twitter.com/FQf7HQ74Q5

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 15, 2025

But there is hope for Mahomes. If we disregard Brady's stats before the injury - and just look at his post-injury numbers, Brady ranks sixth all-time in passing touchdowns and tenth in passing yards. Mahomes should be back for Week 1, or soon after. Recovery times are shrinking. The Chiefs' offense has not been sharp this season, for a myriad of reasons. With Travis Kelce likely retiring, Kansas City will look different next fall. We fully expect wholesale changes, especially at running back and wide receiver. Noah Gray will probably inherit the starting tight end role, and Rashee Rice will return as the top wide receiver. Aside from these two, Mahomes will have other options to target.

Dynasty News: QB Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Last week, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler discussed Daniel Jones and his free agent market. Garziano said, "I think that's the impact of the injury -- that he and whichever team he ends up with will have to be creative and, as you suggest, build something that gives Jones some time to not only get back onto the field but also get back to playing at a relatively high level. Jones is still only 28, so there's certainly plenty of hope for him to recover and still have a future in the league. But this is also the third season-ending injury of his career, and that history has to be a concern for whichever team is interested in signing him." This is a very good point. Jones is still very young - even though it seems as though he has been around a long time. Fowler responded, "My sense is Indianapolis will want to see how Jones is progressing in his rehab before deciding. That will help inform the team on how to proceed. If the Colts believe Jones will be a productive starter for them over the next three to four seasons, then perhaps paying him a respectable market deal now will be a discount in two years, instead of haggling over the level of discount required because of the injury. Jones has been Indy's most viable quarterback option since Andrew Luck, so the Colts might not be afraid to pay him big. Coaches and teammates there love him. And a few other teams could be facing a quarterback transition -- the Browns, Jets, and Raiders among them." We expect the Colts to sign Jones to an extension before he can hit free agency. As Fowler points out, he has been their best quarterback since Andrew Luck, and continuity is huge for NFL offenses. Dynasty managers are encouraged to trade for Jones, Tyler Warren, and Michael Pittman Jr in expectation that the team will appreciate what they have in the veteran quarterback. As the Indianapolis quarterback situation cannot be odder, in addition to Philip Rivers coming out of retirement, Anthony Richardson Sr. is now healthy enough to play. If the Colts lose this week, the team may turn to Richardson to see if he has improved enough to push Jones next year.

#Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. has been cleared medically coming off his orbital fracture from Oct. 12 and the hope is to have him back practicing in the near future, sources tell @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/2j7gTwS8UH

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 15, 2025

This will be an important offseason for the Indianapolis Colts.

Dynasty News: QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Jeremy Fowler reports that the Eagles may surprisingly draft a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, "Some people around the league were starting to think the Eagles might draft a quarterback high in 2026 even before Jalen Hurts' four-interception performance Monday. The prediction from those folks: GM Howie Roseman snags a passer on Day 2, allowing Hurts to serve as the starter in 2026 while having a future starter to develop. '[The Eagles] will do to Jalen what they did to Carson Wentz,' one industry source predicted." Hurts' future in Philadelphia might depend on how the Eagles finish this season. While it makes news about the team drafting another quarterback, Philadelphia would incur a dead cap hit of over $100 million if Hurts is released or traded before 2027, according to Spotrac. We could see the team giving Tanner McKee more opportunities in 2026, as it is his last season under contract, more than drafting Hurts' replacement. The underlying factor will be the future of coach Nick Sirianni, who has been under fire this season due to a lackluster offense. Both coach and quarterback are back in the good graces of fans after a resounding victory over Las Vegas.

Dynasty News: QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals