Chiefs’ Andy Reid on Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury: ‘It’s not broken, but it hurts’

Chiefs’ Andy Reid on Patrick Mahomes’ ankle injury: ‘It’s not broken, but it hurts’

The Kansas City Chiefs picked up their 13th win of the season on Sunday, handing the Cleveland Browns a 21-7 defeat. Although they avoided the close-range shenanigans that have been common in games this season, this Week 15 win still had some drama.

On a four-down play with just under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a right ankle injury. As Mahomes stepped into the pocket, a Browns defensive lineman rolled into him, forcing Mahomes to limp off the field and miss the rest of the game.

“It’s not broken, but it hurts,” head coach Andy Reid said of his quarterback’s right ankle after the game. “He’ll start the rehab part over time – and then we’ll just have to see how he does.”

Mahomes downplayed the injury and stressed that under different circumstances he would have pushed harder to get back into the game.

“I probably would have fought a little harder if they had brought the game down to a point,” Mahomes admitted. “But I have a lot of confidence in (backup quarterback) Carson (Wentz). He played a lot of football and won games. We got him out of there. I thought he did a great job moving the ball, running the clock out and putting us in a position to win.”

Kansas City was able to play it safe with its superstar quarterback because of the phenomenal performance of its defense and set the tone by forcing six turnovers – and recording five sacks from Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston.

The offense took advantage of these additional opportunities and scored two touchdowns from the Browns’ turnovers. Mahomes completed 19 of 38 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns – and more importantly, zero turnovers for the fourth straight game.

However, Cleveland’s relentless pass rush left its mark. While Mahomes avoided being sacked, he was under pressure on 54% of his dropbacks. According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, that’s the highest rate he’s recorded since 2020. Mahomes admitted he still has a lot of work to do.

“I have to do a better job of progressing, trusting the offense, getting the ball out of my hands and letting guys make plays,” he admitted. “It’s my nature to try to make the big play happen, but sometimes the defense prevents that. “If it’s not there, (I should) take the stuff underneath and keep it moving. I have to get better at that because the season is coming to an end and we’re going into the playoffs.”

However, Mahomes won’t have much time to recover from his injury. Kansas City will face the Houston Texans on Saturday, then face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day the following Wednesday. To ensure his ankle remains healthy, Mahomes will continue to focus on his rehab as he and his teammate prepare for the grueling schedule.

“Every injury is different,” Mahomes said. “You know what you have to do to get back – and I think that’s the most important thing. Now we’re just going to get back to the rehab part, the treatment part, and try to get ready for a short week against a good football team.”

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