- Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his ankle getting tackled during his team’s 21-7 win over Cleveland in Week 15.
- Mahomes’ availability is uncertain heading into the Chiefs’ Week 16 game against the Houston Texans.
- The Chiefs then play again in nine days on Christmas Day against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Kansas City Chiefs moved to 13-1 in the NFL with a 21-7 win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 action. However, it came at a cost to the defending Super Bowl champions.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was tackled by two Cleveland players in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game. It is now a race against time for Mahomes, as the Chiefs play two more games in the next nine days.
Reid Claims Nothing is Broken, Will Know More on Monday
The injury happened when Mahomes was trying to complete a pass, and was tackled high by defensive tackle Mike Hall, and also from behind by another tackle, Dalvin Tomlinson.
Carson Wentz came into the game to finish for the Chiefs, who picked off Jameis Winston three times in the win. Kansas City coach Andy Reid said that the ankle was not broken, but just sore. They’ll know more on Monday after additional testing is done.
"It's sore, and he'll get started on the rehab part of it as we go, and then we'll just have to see how he does down the road here.”
Reid also stated that Mahomes could have stayed in the NFL Week 15 game, but with the Chiefs in control, he sat the two-time MVP. It also allowed Wentz to get some playing time that could be useful in case he has to replace Mahomes in their next game, which is on Saturday, December 21, at home against Houston.
Mahomes went on the record last week about the Chiefs’ schedule, as they were set to play three games in 11 days.
"It's not a good feeling. You never want to play this amount of games in this short of time. It's 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."
The Chiefs are now in a spot where they may have to prioritize the health of their star signal-caller. This will also affect the Chiefs’ odds at NFL betting sites.
How Does This Affect the Chiefs’ Chances?
It will definitely impact the Chiefs, as a move from Wentz to Mahomes will swing the odds a lot in the Texans’ favor next week in Kansas City.
However, the goal is to get Mahomes healthy for the playoffs, and the Chiefs are still high up the list in the Super Bowl 59 odds. Even though the Chiefs haven’t played their best, especially offensively, they’re still 13-1 with the best record in the league. The Chiefs have a two-game lead over Buffalo in the AFC for the top seed, which would make sure the road to the Super Bowl goes through Kansas City.
Mahomes was on to something with his comments. The Chiefs played on Sunday, now have to turn around six days later and play a tough Houston team on Saturday, and then play on Christmas Day, which is a Wednesday, on the road in Pittsburgh.
This is the same for the Texans, Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens, who all play on Christmas Day (Beyonce will also perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans in Houston, her hometown). Football is a very physical sport, and asking players to play three games in 11 days means you’re going to lose some players along the way. But the Chiefs have their eye on the main prize, and they’ll ensure that Mahomes is healthy for the playoff run.
