In the final week of the NFL regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns have decided to rest their star quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Flacco, respectively. With their playoff seeding already secured, both teams are taking a cautious approach to avoid any unnecessary injuries ahead of the postseason.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed in a press conference that Mahomes will not take the field in their Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. This comes as no surprise, as the Chiefs currently hold the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs and cannot move up or down in the standings. Instead, backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert will lead the team in the season finale.

Meanwhile, the Browns also announced that Flacco will be sitting out their final regular-season game. Having clinched the No. 5 seed, Cleveland has no need to risk the health of their starting quarterback. Jeff Driskel will step in as the fifth different starter for the Browns this season.

Flacco's addition to the Browns' roster in mid-November has been nothing short of remarkable. In just five games, he has thrown 13 touchdowns, leading the team to a 4-1 record during his starts and securing a playoff spot early on.

While Reid did not provide specific details regarding the playing time of other Chiefs starters, there are still individual milestones to be achieved. Tight end Travis Kelce, for instance, needs just 16 yards to reach an impressive eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season. It remains to be seen if the Chiefs will prioritize this milestone for Kelce in their final game against the Chargers.

Additionally, defensive end Chris Jones has an opportunity to earn a $1.25 million bonus if he reaches 10 sacks this season. Currently sitting at 9.5 sacks, Jones will need to potentially overcome some challenges to reach this milestone. However, Reid noted that Jones won't be participating in Wednesday's practice alongside Isiah Pacheco, Rashee Rice, and L'Jarius Sneed, suggesting they may be taking precautions with their injured players.

The decision to rest starters in the season finale can be a contentious one for some teams, even if their playoff seed is already secure. Last season, the Los Angeles Chargers experienced the consequences of playing starters despite having their playoff position locked up. Injuries, including one to receiver Mike Williams, resulted in key players missing the team's subsequent playoff game. The Chargers ultimately suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars after blowing a 27-point lead in their wild-card matchup.

Both Reid and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski are taking no chances when it comes to the health of their star quarterbacks. As NFL fans eagerly anticipate the exciting matchups in the final week of the regular season, it remains to be seen if other teams will adopt a similar cautious approach in Week 18.