The Kansas City Chiefs will not rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes II out of precaution in Week 16 — as some have suggested they should.
Although Chiefs head coach Andy Reid did not confirm that Mahomes would start versus the Houston Texans while speaking with reporters on December 17, he did make it very clear that his quarterback will play so long as he’s medically cleared and able to do so.
“Listen, if [Mahomes] can go, he’ll go,” Reid responded very frankly on Tuesday — after being asked if the upcoming schedule will factor into the Mahomes decision.
Similarly, Reid noted that if Mahomes “can’t go, then he can’t.” He added that the decision is “that simple.”
“If your guys can play, they play,” Reid reiterated later. “As long as… medically, if they’re fine, they go.”
The Chiefs head coach also referred to Mahomes’ injury as a “day-to-day” issue multiple times on December 17, which differs from reports that he suffered a “week-to-week” injury. For clarity, week-to-week diagnoses typically represent a longer recovery timeline than day-to-day.
As for how he’ll know if his superstar QB is ready to play by the end of the week, Reid explained: “[Mahomes will] talk to me, the doctors will talk to me, trainers, we’ll keep it open.” He also joked that Mahomes is much more honest with him about his availability when they’re on the practice field together rather than inside of a game when adrenaline takes hold.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Confirms He Will Not Push to Play If He’s Not Medically Cleared, Says Ankle Treatment Has Been ‘Good’ So Far
Mahomes spoke just after Reid on December 17, and he confirmed that if the Chiefs’ medical staff does not clear him by the end of the week, he will listen to them and sit out against the Texans.
Having said that, listening to Mahomes talk, it sounded like the two-time NFL MVP will do everything in his power to suit up on Saturday.
“I think [my ankle has] done good with the treatment and the work that we’ve gotten in,” the Chiefs QB said on Tuesday. “Obviously, it’s a short amount of time but I thought we had a good day yesterday and good work after the game as well.”
Mahomes also voiced that he will always “push to play” no matter the scenario. “I think that you have to, that’s the reason you play this game,” he reasoned.
On the flip side, Mahomes explained that he would be willing to sit if he feels his injury compromises his ability to help the team win.
“At the end of the day, I’m not going to put our team in a bad position,” he noted. “So, if I feel like I can play and go out there and win a football game, I’ll play. And if I don’t feel like that’s the best-case scenario, I’ll let guys like Carson [Wentz] play.”
There you have it. As Reid stated, if Mahomes is able, he’ll be out there versus Houston. If he’s inactive, however, fans will know that it’s not out of precaution.
Chiefs Estimated to Have ‘25% Drop in Offensive Efficiency’ If Carson Wentz Starts Instead of Patrick Mahomes
Pro Football Network (PFN365) did a deep dive into the statistical data that is available for Wentz versus Mahomes on December 16, then discussed how their findings could impact the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
“Projecting how much worse the Chiefs’ offense might perform with Carson Wentz instead of Patrick Mahomes is an inexact science until it plays out on the field,” PFN365 wrote. “However, if we estimate a 25% drop in offensive efficiency, their win expectancy decreases by 8.4% against Houston and 9.7% against Pittsburgh.”
“Assuming Mahomes misses both games, the Chiefs’ chances of securing the #1 seed in the AFC drop from 77.2% to 73.6%,” the PFN staff continued. “Kansas City currently holds a two-game lead over Buffalo for the top seed, but the Bills own the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Chiefs need any combination of two wins and Bills losses to clinch the bye and home-field advantage in the postseason. Buffalo concludes the season with two games against the Patriots and a home game against the Jets, while the Chiefs play at Denver in Week 18 to close the regular season.”
They added that “over the last six seasons, Carson Wentz’s best QB+ season was [scored as a 79.1] in 2019, which is comparable to Mahomes’ performance over the past two seasons [81.6 and 82.9]. However, Wentz’s QB+ [score of 64.2] in his last starting season (2022 with Washington) represents a significant drop-off compared to Mahomes’ worst season in 2023 [81.6].”
