Earlier this week, Patrick Mahomes said he didn’t want to put himself in “danger” and wanted to “protect himself” after suffering an apparent sprained ankle.
Now it appears Mahomes has nothing to worry about.
The two-time NFL MVP is off the Kansas City Chiefs’ injury report and is ready for Saturday against the Houston Texans.
Head coach Andy Reid told reporters Thursday that Mahomes will “probably” play.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watches the game during the second half against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
The injury comes at an inopportune time with the Chiefs in a stretch of three games in 11 days because they will play on Christmas Day, a rare Wednesday game in the NFL.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Mahomes told reporters last week about the schedule. “You never want to play this many games in such a short amount of time. It’s not good 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.
“All you can do is focus on the game. The practice you have that day,” he added. “I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch. That’s adapting my workouts, adapting how you practice and prepare, and the coaches do a great job taking care of us on the practice field. We practice as hard as anyone. But they know how correct it when necessary.”
Mahomes injured his ankle in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. X-rays were negative, but backup Carson Wentz entered the game briefly.
Mahomes said he wanted to “be able to move” and “get out of the way” if he took the field this weekend.
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) and linebacker Devin Bush (30) run against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on December 15, 2024. (Ken Blaze/Image Images)
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“You don’t want to go out and put yourself in danger. It’s football. You’re going to get hit, but you want to be able to protect yourself,” Mahomes said this week.
“I don’t want to limit the game plan,” Mahomes said. “That’s another thing for me. I want to be able to keep moving around the pocket so we’re not sitting in one spot the entire game and leading the D-line to chase it. So, it’s about finding that balance and seeing where I am and “Like I said, I won’t know until closer to the end of this week.”
The Chiefs are in a race to maintain their grip on first place in the AFC. At 13-1, they have the best record in the league and have a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for a first-round bye. But the Bills would have the tiebreaker over the Chiefs if they finish with the same record because Buffalo beat Kansas City, 30-21, on Nov. 17.
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) helps Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a tackle during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on December 15, 2024. (Scott Galvin/Image Images)
A win would improve the Chiefs to 13-1 and closer to clinching first place in the AFC.
