KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For a moment Monday night, Patrick Mahomes said he feared the worst. He injured his left ankle in the fourth quarter and had to be helped to his feet, but for several seconds he wondered if he would be able to complete the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mahomes later said, “It’s scary for sure. I think it hurt more because it’s the same ankle I twisted last week. So it was a little scary.”
“When you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen and you feel sharp pain, you always fear the worst.”
Everything went well for Mahomes, who stayed in the game and threw another touchdown pass to put the Chiefs ahead. After the Bucs scored to send the game into overtime, Mahomes mounted a 10-play drive that ended with Kareem Hunt’s 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Chiefs a 30-24 victory and an 8-0 lead. It was considered a defeat.
Mahomes injured his right ankle in the 2022 playoff win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Andy Reid pulled Mahomes from the game over protests and did not allow him to return until he underwent X-rays.
Once again, Reid told Mahomes he was leaving the game.
“I thought he was joking. I thought, ‘Okay, I’m not going to do this again,'” Mahomes said.
Reid told backup quarterback Carson Wentz to get ready.
“He’s a competitor. I told him I’m going to beat him, but he probably wants to fight me, so he’s a tough kid,” Reid said of Mahomes. .
Reid relented after Mahomes said the injury was not as serious as the 2022 postseason injury. Mahomes also underwent medical attention and a mobility test on the sideline.
Mahomes said he is ready to play in Sunday’s home game against the Denver Broncos.
Mahomes was injured on a non-contact play while throwing a touchdown pass to running back Samaje Perine.
“I was obviously running towards the goal line and kind of committed to playing football and in the last minute [passed to] Samaje, so I awkwardly rolled my ankle a little bit,” Mahomes said. “When you feel pain, it scares you. I’ve had ankles treated before, but I just lay there and the pain subsided over time.
“I somehow regained my health and started moving again, so I was able to go out feeling good.”
“A game in the playoffs a few years ago was a little bit of how I got tackled,” he explained. “I got caught and it hurt even more. [This time] I was able to move and my ankle was still able to move and still will be after this game. It might be a little swollen tomorrow. But it’s a short week, so you have to go out there and take care of yourself and get ready to play next week. ”
