The Kansas City Chiefs breezed through a victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, but the big story was Patrick Mahomes’ early exit following yet another ankle injury.
Just after the win, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Mahomes is currently considered “week-to-week,” per his sources. He also added that X-rays were “negative,” and that more information will likely be available on Monday, December 16, after more tests are run on the superstar QB’s ankle.
In a later update on December 15, NFL insider Albert Breer stated that the “belief is that Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain,” but added that the team is not sure of the “severity” of it.
Despite all of that, head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes both downplayed the ankle issue during their respective postgame press conferences.
“He probably could have gone back in,” Reid told reporters, regarding Mahomes. “He wanted to fight about it, but we’ve got good support there behind him with Carson [Wentz].”
Similarly, Mahomes said that he felt like he “could have finished the game in different circumstances.” The Chiefs signal-caller also acknowledged that Wentz closing out the game was the “smart decision.”
“I was trying to run up in the pocket, obviously fourth down, trying to make a play happen,” Mahomes recapped. “And as I threw the ball, I kind of got hit and I haven’t seen it, but I just felt like someone hit me from behind as well. And so, I kind of just got rolled up on — this [stuff] kind of happens in football.”
The two-time NFL MVP also noted that his ankle obviously “hurt a little bit” when he first popped up. His immediate plan is to “get after the rehab part of it and try to be ready for next week.”
But it is encouraging that both Reid and Mahomes agreed that the QB could have re-entered the game if needed.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Says Every Injury Is Different, Adds That He Knows What He Must Do to Return in Week 16
Throughout his career, Mahomes has proven to be one of the most durable quarterbacks in the league. Part of that is his dedication when it comes to pliability and flexibility training ahead of games, as well as a similar dedication throughout his rest and recovery process after them.
“They’re all different, every injury is different,” Mahomes said following Week 15. “You know what you have to do to get back and I think that’s the important thing. Now we just get back to the rehab part, the treatment part, and try to get ourselves ready on a short week against a good football team.”
Contrary to Rapoport’s “week-to-week” report, Reid used the words “day-to-day” during his postgame presser — which typically indicates a shorter absence.
Reid did confirm that Mahomes’ ankle is not broken, and that the amount of swelling could determine how long he has to rest it as the team begins looking ahead to Week 16 versus the Houston Texans.
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Says There Was ‘No Need’ to Put Patrick Mahomes Back in the Game vs. Browns
The reality of the situation is that the Chiefs were up 21-7 with under eight minutes remaining when Mahomes suffered his ankle injury.
“He wanted to go back in,” Reid reiterated after the victory. “Listen, he’s a tough kid and there was no need for that.”
Mahomes finished the game with 159 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, along with a passer rating of 78.7.
“I thought the defense was playing really well,” Mahomes concluded on December 15. “I wanted to go back out there, and I probably would have fought a little harder if [the Browns] would have gotten the game to one score, but I have a lot of trust in Carson [Wentz] too.
“He’s played [a lot of] football and he’s won football games. Put him out there and I thought he did a great job of moving the football, running time off the clock and putting us in position to win the football game.”
