All eyes in Kansas City are going to be on Patrick Mahomes‘ left ankle this week after the Chiefs quarterback was injured during the team’s 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The defending Super Bowl MVP had his first chance to test his ankle Tuesday, and it was a positive development for the quarterback. Mahomes was listed as a full participant for Tuesday’s practice.
Kansas City conducted a light practice Tuesday and will have a similar plan for Wednesday’s practice. Mahomes won’t have a full week to recover, and that’s because the Chiefs have to turn around and play on Saturday this week against the Houston Texans.
Mahomes was injured during the fourth quarter against the Browns while trying to convert a fourth-and-3 by throwing a short pass, and as he was throwing the ball, he got sandwiched by two defenders. Not only was Mahomes slow to get up, but he could barely walk as he headed off the field.
After Mahomes left the game, Carson Wentz took over at quarterback. He’ll get the start in Week 16 if Mahomes isn’t good to go.
“It’ll literally be day to day,” Reid said following the win over the Browns, via The Athletic. “He probably could’ve gone back in. He wanted to go back in. There was no need for that.”
The injury definitely comes at an inopportune time for the Chiefs, who just started a span of playing three games in 10 days. In the days leading up to the Browns game, Mahomes had actually complained about the fact that the NFL was forcing his team to play three games between Dec. 15 and Dec. 25.
“You never want to play this many games in this short of time,” Mahomes said. “It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”
With the way the schedule is set up, Mahomes isn’t going to have much time to heal. Not only will the Chiefs’ be on a short week with the Saturday game against Houston coming up in Week 16, but they also have to turn around and play four days after that with a Wednesday game on Christmas against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even if Mahomes plays in both of those games, he could be hobbled. And if he has to miss any time, that would be a huge problem for a Chiefs team that’s trying to clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
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Author: John Breech
December 17, 2024 | 6:07 pm