Patrick Mahomes has helped guide the Kansas City Chiefs to an NFL-best 13-1 record to start the 2024 season and has them tracking to emerge as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
However, the star quarterback is now facing questions about his health as he looks to guide Kansas City to an unprecedented three-peat.
Mahomes suffered an ankle injury late in the Chiefs’ 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns. He didn’t return to action in the 14-point victory, which sparked questions about whether he would have to miss time as Kansas City navigates a grueling schedule that features three games in 11 days.
Here’s everything to know about Mahomes’ injuries, including the latest updates on how long he might be sidelined.
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What happened to Patrick Mahomes?
Mahomes suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ win over the Browns. He tried to move around the pocket while attempting a pass on a fourth-and-3, but his protection collapsed in on him.
Mahomes was forced to throw a jump pass as a result of the pressure. He was tackled by Dalvin Tomlinson while doing so, and the 325-pound defensive tackle rolled up on him while bringing him down.
At the same time, Mahomes was hit from the front by defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. He bent back awkwardly as a result of the dual contact.
Mahomes was able to get up eventually but slowly hobbled to the sideline. He had his right ankle heavily taped on the bench and was ruled ‘questionable’ to return. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz played the final five minutes of the game in his stead.
Patrick Mahomes injury updates
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Mahomes is dealing with a ‘mild high-ankle sprain.’ The Chiefs quarterback will carry a ‘week-to-week’ designation that will put his Week 16 status ‘in doubt,’ but it doesn’t appear that the quarterback suffered a major injury.
‘He’ll be fine long-term,’ a source told Rapoport.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke about Mahomes’ injury after the Chiefs win. Reid classified his quarterback as ‘day-to-day’ and said that Mahomes ‘probably could’ve gone back in’ had the Chiefs not been leading.
‘He wanted to go back in,’ Reid said. ‘There was no need for that.’
Reid acknowledged that the team would have to wait and see how Mahomes responds to treatment on his injured right ankle before deciding on his short- or long-term availability.
‘It’s not broken, but it’s sore,’ Reid told reporters of Mahomes’ ankle. ‘He’ll get started on the rehab part of it as we go, and then we’ll just have to see how he does.’
Mahomes echoed a similar sentiment, saying, ‘it’s hard to say right now’ when asked how he was feeling.
‘You still [have the] adrenaline rolling and usually it’s kind of the day after when you kind of get a good sense of it,’ Mahomes told reporters. ‘I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances, but I thought the smart decision we talked about was to put Carson Wentz in. He’s played a lot of football and he finished the game well.’
Still, Mahomes said he would ‘get after the rehab’ in his recovery and ‘try to be ready for next week.’
‘You know what you have to do to get back, and I think that’s the most important thing,’ Mahomes said. ‘And 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.’
How long is Patrick Mahomes out?
Mahomes’ status for Week 16 is ‘in doubt,’ according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. However, the quarterback’s ankle injury isn’t expected to be long-term.
So, while it isn’t yet clear exactly how long Mahomes will be out due to his injury, he will have a chance to return quickly.
The Chiefs are navigating a stretch of three games in 11 days. With Kansas City sporting a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, it figures to approach Mahomes’ availability cautiously.
Reid’s ‘day-to-day’ designation means that Mahomes’ status should be monitored before the team’s Week 16 Saturday game against the Houston Texans. However, if Rapoport’s ‘week-to-week’ diagnosis is more accurate, Mahomes will likely miss that contest; NFL players typically miss at least one game if given a ‘week-to-week’ designation.
Still, little is known about Mahomes’ status beyond those vague timetables. The Chiefs will likely provide a more concrete update in the coming days.
