The Houston Texans could face off against two quarterbacks at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes suffered a mild high-ankle sprain during Sunday’s road win over the Cleveland Browns. While the injury looked serious at the time, it doesn’t appear that it is going to keep the two-time MVP off the field for long.
The three-time Super Bowl champion was a full participant at practice all three days, including Thursday’s walkthrough period. Barring a setback, it’s expected that he will at least start Saturday’s game against the defending AFC South champions.
Here’s what to know about Mahomes’ status for Week 16.
Patrick Mahomes injury update
Chiefs coach Andy Reid provided an encouraging update about his Mahomes before the team’s final practice of the short week on Thursday.
“He’ll most likely end up playing,” Reid said. “We’ll just see how things work out today.”
Kansas City also removed from the injury report on Thursday following drills.
Reid admitted that at the time of the prognosis, he wasn’t sure that Mahomes would suit up with a short week ahead. He also said it wasn’t a surprise that Mahomes was on the verge of pulling off the quick recovery that usually keeps players sidelined for multiple weeks.
The #Chiefs have removed QB Patrick Mahomes from the injury report and he’s officially good to go. Of course.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2024
“I’ve been through it with him before and he amazes me every time he does it,” Reid said of Mahomes’ injury recovery. “He’s so mentally tough. It’s a mindset he has going into it. Where he was a few days ago, I’d probably say it was a longshot. He’s done well with it.”
Kansas City can’t clinch the No. 1 seed with a win on Saturday, but it could push itself further ahead of Buffalo with a victory. Should the Chiefs defeat the Texans, they would need a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to control the AFC path.
Reid, who mentioned earlier in the week that the team had faith in Carson Wentz to start if need be, said Mahomes looked healthy in practice, making him confident that the quarterback could play in Week 16.
“He moved around pretty good,” Reid said. “You’re always looking to make sure they can get out of the way, not to further any harm to them.”
High-ankle sprain recovery timeline
Recovery time differs per injury. A Mild sprain typically heals within 2-4 weeks. Moderate to severe sprains take 6-12 weeks to heal, per Dr. Scott Dixon of Integrative PT.
If Mahomes stays in the game, this would mark the second time he’s played on an injured ankle. He first suffered the injury in the team’s divisional-round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023; he returned to the game after halftime with his ankle heavily taped.
#Chiefs coach Andy Reid tells reporters that after a full week of practice for QB Patrick Mahomes, “We’ll most likely end up playing him.” Mahomes has a high-ankle sprain.
As for Hollywood Brown, who had targeted this week for his debut, Reid said there’s a “good chance.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 19, 2024
He aggravated that injury in the Super Bowl but played through it to deliver Kansas City its second Lombardi Trophy.
Patrick Mahomes stats
In 14 games, Mahomes has completed 66.7% of his passes for 3,348 yards and 22 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 262 yards and a touchdown.
