KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs are preparing for Patrick Mahomes to start Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans, but if their star quarterback’s sore ankle prevents that, they believe they can be successful when Substitute Carson Wentz plays.

“We have full confidence in Carson,” coach Andy Reid said. “If he has to step in and play, I think everyone, coaches and players, has full confidence that he can go in and do a good job. “He started in the league and was successful. He has a great feel for this offense. Very smart, big arm. I like the way he acts. I like everything about him. He should be starting somewhere in this league, so he is.” “Hell of a player.”

Mahomes said he is pleased with the progress his injured right ankle has made since suffering a severe ankle sprain in Sunday’s 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns. He said this injury was not as serious as a similar injury he suffered in a 2022 divisional round playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He then returned to the game after a short break, playing in both the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Of course it’s football and you have to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself. That’s my goal and I don’t want to limit the game plan. That’s a different thing. “It’s important for me to be able to move around the pocket so we don’t sit in one spot the whole game and really leave their D-line behind. It’s about me finding the balance and seeing where I’m at… I won’t know until somehow near the end of this week.

Patrick Mahomes on his ankle injury

“That (injury) was pretty significant,” Mahomes said. “But I want to be in a better position than the next game against the Bengals. “So I’ll try to see if I can get there.

“I want to be able to move. I want to be able to get out of the way. (Houston’s) good pass rush, good defense. They fly around It’s clear that it’s about football and you have to be able to protect yourself and I don’t want to limit the game plan Another thing for me is I want to be able to protect myself in the To move the pocket so we don’t sit in one spot the whole game and really leave their D-line behind. It’s about me finding that balance and seeing where I’m at… “I won’t know until the end of this week.”

The 13-1 Chiefs have secured the AFC West championship and a playoff spot, but are in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which has a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason. They would secure victory with two wins in their last three games, so while they could lose to the Texans, they could still secure first place with wins against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos in their last two games.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing that I’m playing,” Mahomes said. “We’re not playing in the AFC Championship Game to get to the Super Bowl. “We still have a little bit of wiggle room, but at the end of the day we want to win. We’re trying to win the football game and I’m a competitor. I want to go out and play, so I’ll put in the effort over the next few days to get to the best possible spot and then we can make a decision.

“I’m not going to put our team in a bad position. If I feel like I can play and go out and win a football game, I will play. And if I don’t feel like that’s the best case scenario.” “I let people like Carson play. He’s also a guy that’s winning this league, so this week is just about pushing it forward, seeing where I’m at and making the best decision.”

Wentz is in his first season with the Chiefs. He replaced Mahomes in the fourth quarter of the game against the Browns.

Reid said Mahomes asked him why Wentz didn’t have a starting job himself somewhere in the NFL and suggested Wentz would get one of those jobs next season.

“These are the conversations you hear with people who are in this room,” Reid said. “Selfishly, I’d like to keep him here at his position, but I kind of know what’s going on out there with quarterbacks and this guy is it. “I think it’s really good.”