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. However, the Chiefs weren’t in full pads for Tuesday’s session, so he hasn’t had a chance to really test the ankle yet, which is something that won’t happen until later this week.
Mahomes admitted Tuesday that if his ankle is still bothering him come Saturday, he probably won’t try to push things since it’s not a playoff game.
“I wouldn’t say it’s dire that I play,” Mahomes said, via ESPN.com. “It’s not in the AFC Championship Game where we’re playing to get to the Super Bowl. We have a little bit of room to kind of spare, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to win.”
The Chiefs star said he won’t be in place to make a decision about his status for the game against the Texans until later in the week.
“I’ll push myself to get to the best place possible over these next few days and we’ll be able to make a decision then,” Mahomes said. “I’m not going to put our team in a bad position.”
The three-time Super Bowl winner also added that if he can’t move around the pocket due to his ankle, then it might not make much sense for him to play.
“Obviously, it’s football and you’re going to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself,” Mahomes said. “So that’ll be where I’m at and I don’t want to limit the game plan. That’s another thing for me is I want to be able to move around the pocket so we’re not just sitting in one spot the whole entire game and letting their D-line really get after it. It’s about me finding that balance and seeing where I’m at.”
If Mahomes can’t go, then Carson Wentz will get the start.
“If I feel like I can play and go out there and win a football game, I’ll play,” Mahomes said. “And if I don’t feel like that’s the best-case scenario, I’ll let guys like Carson play.”
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 exited the game, Wentz took over at quarterback. If Wentz has to start against the Texans, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the team will have “full confidence” in their backup.
“If he has to step in and play, then I think everybody, coaches and players, has full confidence that he can go in and do a nice job,” Reid said Tuesday. “”He’s started in the league and been successful. He’s got a great feel for this offense. Very smart, big arm. I like the way he carries himself. I like everything about him.”
The injury to Mahomes 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. The Chiefs can clinch the No. 1 overall seed by going 2-1 in their final three games, so if Mahomes does have to sit this week, the Chiefs would still be in a spot to earn the top seed.
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