Earlier this week, Patrick Mahomes said he “doesn't want to put himself in harm's way” and “wants to protect” himself after suffering an apparent ankle sprain.
Well, it looks like Mahomes has nothing to worry about.
The two-time NFL MVP is off the Kansas City Chiefs' injury report and is expected to be available for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans.
Head coach Andy Reid told reporters Thursday that Mahomes is “likely to play.”
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watches second half play against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
The injury came at an inopportune time for the Chiefs, who played three consecutive games in 11 days, as they played on Christmas Day, a rare Wednesday in the NFL.
“It doesn't feel good,” Mahomes told reporters last week about the schedule. “You don't want to play this many games in such a short amount of time. It's not good for your body. But at the end of the day, it's your job, it's your profession. You have to come to work and do it.
“All I can do is focus on the game and practice that day,” he added. “I try to prepare my body for this stretch all year long, by adjusting my workouts and adjusting how I practice and prepare. They do a great job of taking care of us. We practice harder than anyone else. But they know how to dial back when we need to.”
Mahomes injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Although his X-ray results were negative, reserve Carson Wentz briefly appeared in the game.
Mahomes said if he takes the field this weekend, he wants to “be able to move” and “get out of the way.”
On Dec. 15, 2024, at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., 51, and linebacker Devin Bush, 30, were killed by Kansas City during the second half. He lunges at 15-year-old City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. (Ken Blaze/Imagine Images)
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“You don't want to go out there and put yourself in danger. That's football. You're going to get attacked, but you want to be able to protect yourself,” Mahomes said this week.
“I don't want to limit the game plan,” Mahomes said. “That's another thing for me. I want to be able to move around the pocket so I'm not sitting in the same spot the whole game and leading the D-line and chasing after them. That's about it. I'm just finding that balance and seeing where I'm at, but like I said, I won't know until closer to the end of this week.”
The Chiefs are in contention to remain the top seed in the AFC. They have the best record in the league at 13 wins and 1 loss, making it out of the first round with a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills. However, Buffalo defeated Kansas City 30-21 on Nov. 17, so if the Bills finish with the same record, they will maintain a tiebreaker with the Chiefs.
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, 94, is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on December 15, 2024. – Help Mahomes (15 years old). (Scott Galvin/Imagine Images)
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A win would move the Chiefs to 13-1 and move them closer to clinching the AFC's top seed.
FOX News' Ryan Gaydos and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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