Kansas City Chiefs fans can finally exhale as star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was absent from the team’s injury report on Thursday, signaling his likely return to the field for Saturday’s game against the Houston Texans.
The three-time Super Bowl champion suffered a right ankle injury in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, limping to the sideline after enduring a brutal hit that bent him backward.
“He’ll most likely end up playing,” head coach Andy Reid said Thursday (h/t Tom Pelissero). “We’ll just see how things work out today.”
Mahomes’ rapid recovery has been remarkable, especially considering he was initially deemed “a long shot” to play in Week 16, according to Reid’s own statements.
“[He] amazes me every time he does it,” Reid remarked. “That guy is so mentally tough. It’s just a mindset he has going into it… But he’s done well with it.”
Kansas City (13-1) remains one of the league’s hottest teams, despite every victory coming in nail-biting fashion.
The team is on the verge of breaking a nearly century-old record, needing just one more win while scoring 30 points or less to achieve the feat.
Without Mahomes, however, that outcome might have been nearly guaranteed. The team holds an 11-8 record in games without him under center, managing to surpass 30 points only once in those 11 wins.
If Kansas City beats Houston on Saturday and the Buffalo Bills (11-3) lose to the New England Patriots on Sunday, the Chiefs would clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
With Mahomes now expected to lead the charge, the Chiefs find themselves in a far stronger position to secure that outcome—or at least edge one step closer.
