“Mahomes is hurt, my goodness,” Jim Nantz said during the broadcast for the Chiefs vs. Jets game last Sunday.
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Chiefs Nation held its breath for some time when Patrick Mahomes grimaced in pain as he got hit in the New York Jets game. Mahomes was able to play through the game, but it did create some concern for Kansas City’s upcoming matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. However, insider Adam Schefter has good news.
“Chiefs listed QB Patrick Mahomes as a full participant in today’s practice,” ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on X. “Putting him on track to play Sunday at Atlanta.”
Mahomes injured his right elbow in the Jets game late in the second quarter. On a second-and-10 play at the Chiefs’ 37-yard line, his arm collided with Jets rookie David Bailey’s arm as he was about to release the ball. He also collided with linemen William McDonald IV and Darnell Jackson Jr. That’s three defenders on Mahomes, who was on the ground for some time after the sack.
He was helped off the field to sideline, but was able to come back.
“Anytime you get in there, you never know what it’s going to show on the machine after,” Mahomes said at the latest press conference. “And so, you can feel as optimistic as you do, but then you get in there, and something happens. And so, obviously after talking to the doctors and stuff like that, I feel like I’m in a great spot. Now it’s just about pain and pain management and stuff like that, which I’ll try to do whatever I can to be in the best place possible.”
An MRI report revealed no major injury; Mahomes most likely sprained his elbow. Now, the six-time Pro Bowler is building his way back to full fitness ahead of the Atlanta Falcons game.
“I’ll be able to be out on the practice field, throw the football, and do all that different type of stuff,” Mahomes said. “We’ll continue this process throughout the entire week so I can be 100 percent on Sunday whenever we get to Atlanta. So, it’s a process — a lot more time in the building. But that’s something that I’m willing to do.”
Though Mahomes completed 23 of 31 passes for 242 yards and had two touchdowns, he “wasn’t throwing the ball the way I wanted to.” His extended arm already was already locked in with a lot of force to throw before he took the hit, possibly making it all more painful.
This showed a gradual recovery process of the star, who is now preparing for the Atlanta game, giving credit to his time in the offseason for his work to resist injuries.
Patrick Mahomes has credited the offseason for his rigid fitness ahead of the Falcons clash
When Mahomes goes down, there is reason for worry. Perhaps why Jim Nantz reacted that way on the mic is because the QB returned this year after injuring his last season, cutting it short. Mahomes had torn his ACL and LCL ligaments, and his rehab was a cautious process to get him back to fitness before the season opener.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s helped a ton,” Mahomes said when asked how offseason training helps him in keeping his body ready for the season. “And you can see from the stuff that I do, that whenever I get put in some bad positions that sometimes I’m able to have some resistance to some injuries. I mean, you can’t stop everything obviously. But all that work does pay off in the end, and if I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t be doing it because it sucks to do. So, I’ll keep doing it.”
One of the team’s top assistant athletic trainers, Julie Frymyer, helped him get in shape ahead of the season. Head coach Andy Reid said Frymyer also helped him during his elbow scare in the Jets game.
Now Mahomes is preparing for the Week 10 clash and isn’t underestimating his opponent. He said that the Falcons’ defense “fly to the football.” The Falcons are currently 3-6, and it won’t be easy for them either.
The Chiefs are looking to keep their winning form after coming back from back-to-back losses, and are 6-2 in the league.