Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has already made eyes pop by practicing just six days after dislocating his kneecap. That drive to return as quickly as possible -- coupled with great medical care and plain old luck -- could land him on the field sooner than anyone imagined.
While he is out today and Matt Moore will get the start, sources say Mahomes has an outside chance to be on the field on Nov. 3 against the Minnesota Vikings and a very realistic shot to play against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 10. The original goal had been to return Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, but barring a setback, it seems like that's an easy one.
Mahomes practiced on a limited basis this week, but didn't do much. He jogged around, threw some passes and took some scout-team reps. But still, amazing progress.
How did this happen? How was he writhing in pain on Oct. 17 but practicing last Wednesday?
Sources say it goes back to how Mahomes' knee is actually built. Because of the way his knee is configured -- and how naturally loose his ligaments are -- only one ligament in his knee was compromised by the scary injury, and that was just barely. None were torn. The fact that he didn't move when the original dislocation happened helped, as well.
A layman would say Mahomes is double-jointed and his knee has built-in protection, but the bottom line is, it led to an incredibly quick recovery.
Mahomes is said to feel great right now, as if he can go play. In reality, how quick he'd be on the field will be determined in part by not how he feels, but how the knee has scarred up and will protect him.
The Chiefs are aware of the magnitude of the injury, of how many eyes are watching and how important Mahomes' future is to Kansas City. They sent his scans out to several doctors and have been extremely diligent and cautious.
Those who read the scans could not believe what they were seeing. It was the best possible scenario.
"He's close," coach Andy Reid said.
Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet.
