Despite aggravating the left ankle injury he suffered the previous week, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes played through the pain and did not miss a snap during Monday night’s overtime 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, captaining his squad to another victory to remain undefeated.
Mahomes said he simply rolled the ankle and, as he didn't miss a play on Monday, he plans on being ready for his team's Week 10 game Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
"I rolled the ankle, I rolled it last week and when you roll it again it never feels good," Mahomes told ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game. "But as I got some time, it started feeling better. We have a short week, but we’ll rehab it up and I’ll be ready to go next week.
Mahomes suffered the injury at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With the Chiefs facing third-and-goal from the 7-yard line, Mahomes scrambled toward the right sideline before flipping a pass to Samaje Perine for a touchdown that would tie the game. He appeared to land awkwardly, staying on the field for a moment after the play before walking off while leaning heavily on team personnel.
“I was obviously running for the goal line, kind of had committed to running the football, and at the last second saw Samaje and so kind of awkwardly rolled the ankle a bit,” Mahomes told reporters after the game. “Definitely scary, I think it hurt more just because it was the same ankle I rolled last week.
“So scared me a little bit, but once I took my breath and kind of calmed down a little bit, it ended up not being too bad.”
Mahomes entered the medical tent, but he was jogging on the sideline shortly thereafter. He was back in the game for Kansas City’s next drive to the uproarious applause of the fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
Despite the initial scare, he did not seem significantly hampered by the injury through the remainder of the final quarter or overtime, though it was noticeable on a few plays. On his first drive back, Mahomes orchestrated a touchdown march of 15 plays for 78 yards to take the lead, and then again drove down the field in overtime for the game-winning TD.
He was 34 of 44 for 291 yards and three touchdowns on the night, with his post-injury stat line at 11 of 15 for 102 yards and a TD.
“When he was being carried off, that wasn’t too easy, I wasn’t sure exactly where he was going to be with it,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters. “But he might have the loosest ankles in America. I mean it’s ridiculous how he can come back from those things, and then he’s mentally tough on top of that.”
Mahomes had been nursing an injury to that ankle after getting rolled up on during a Week 8 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He was listed on the injury report throughout the week’s practices heading into Monday night, though he fully participated each day.
It’s not the first time Mahomes has played through an ankle injury, as Monday’s effort might bring to mind memories of the quarterback’s spectacular effort in playing through a sprained ankle to lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, Mahomes said this rolled ankle wasn’t nearly as bad as that injury, and anticipates it being more about managing soreness with a short week ahead before facing the Broncos.
“It hurt a lot more,” Mahomes said of the 2023 injury. “I still have mobility in my ankle and still do after this game, and so obviously you’ll sleep, probably get a little swelling tomorrow, but in a short week you go in there and take care of it, and be prepared to play next week.”