Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes practiced as usual on Wednesday and plans to be ready for this weekend’s game against the Broncos, two days after hurting his left ankle while throwing a touchdown pass in a win over the Buccaneers.
Mahomes was rolling to his right, considering running for a first down as the Chiefs tried to rally in the second half against Tampa Bay on Monday night. Just as he saw Samaje Perine open in the end zone, Mahomes threw him a pass, but his ankle got caught in the wet turf at Arrowhead Stadium, causing sharp pain to shoot through it.
Mahomes stayed on the sideline for a moment, and a couple of people helped him partway across the field. He then walked on his own the rest of the way to the Chiefs’ sideline.
He was checked there but didn’t miss a play. Mahomes later helped the Chiefs score another touchdown in regulation and led the winning drive in overtime for a 30-24 victory over the Bucs.
“It’s doing good,” Mahomes said of his ankle on Wednesday. “Obviously went on a little bit of a roll. It’s a little sore. But I’m able to move around and looking forward to getting out in practice and seeing how I can push it as the week goes on.”
Mahomes has dealt with ankle injuries before.
The most famous one came during the playoffs two seasons ago when he needed help to recover in time for the Super Bowl against the Eagles. Mahomes tweaked the injury again in the first half but returned to lead the Chiefs to victory.
“We won’t have to back off,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said about Mahomes. “He manages it. He stays on top of it.”
The recovery process started right after Monday night’s game and continued at home, with each day becoming more important since Kansas City is playing the Broncos on a short week this Sunday.
Mahomes was at the practice facility early Tuesday to watch game film and get extra treatment, making sure he was ready for the first practice of the week on Wednesday.
“You can only do so much,” Mahomes said. “It was pretty late getting some stuff in the training room after the game, getting some stuff to take home.
Stuff you can put on overnight to reduce swelling. You come in early in the morning — it was a long day of watching film and getting treatment, and preparing yourself for a short week.”
In other injury news, Reid mentioned that wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster would still not practice because of a hamstring injury that has kept him out for most of the past three games. Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton was also out due to a bruised knee.
Reid also had no new information on Charles Omenihu and Isiah Pacheco, both of whom the Chiefs hope to have back later in the season.
Omenihu tore the ACL in his right knee during the AFC Championship game against Baltimore and had surgery in February. He has been on the physically unable-to-perform list all season. Pacheco has been out since Week 2, when he fractured his fibula during a win over Cincinnati and was placed on injured reserve after surgery.
The Chiefs have managed to deal with several injuries, including major ones to Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown, which weakened their wide receiver group, by making smart decisions in the front office.
Kansas City traded for Patriots defensive end Joshua Uche just before the trade deadline, and he made his debut as a pass-rusher in Monday night’s win over the Buccaneers.
The Chiefs also signed Kareem Hunt after Pacheco’s injury, and Hunt has stepped up. He’s had at least 21 carries in each of the last four games, scoring touchdowns in everyone.
He has also rushed for over 100 yards twice, including the game-winning two-yard touchdown in overtime against Tampa Bay. One of the biggest moves, though, was the Chiefs’ trade with Tennessee for DeAndre Hopkins.
The three-time All-Pro wide receiver practiced only two days before playing a limited role in a win against Las Vegas. But after a full week of practice, he made a big impact on Monday night, catching eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns against the Bucs.
“You just continue to get him more and more comfortable in the offense,” Mahomes said. “We move him around and let him do what he’s special at, and that’s catching the football and winning those one-on-one matchups.”
