(AP) KANSAS CITY, MO Two days after twitching his left ankle after a touchdown pass in a victory over the Bucs, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes practiced as usual on Wednesday and is expected to be healthy for this weekend’s game against the Broncos.
On Monday night, as the Chiefs attempted to rally against Tampa Bay in the second half, Mahomes was rolling to his right and considering running for a first down. Just as his ankle seized on Arrowhead Stadium’s sloppy soil and shot a searing pain through it, he saw Samaje Perine suddenly come free and flicked a pass to him in the end zone.
After briefly lying on the bench, Mahomes was assisted halfway across the field and then trotted the last distance to the Kansas City sideline without any aid. After being evaluated there, he continued to play and helped the Chiefs defeat the Bucs 30–24 by scoring another touchdown in regular and the game-winning drive in overtime.
“It’s doing good,” Mahomes said of his ankle Wednesday. “Obviously went on a little bit of a roll. It’s a little sore. But I’m able to move around and looking forward to getting out in practice and seeing how I can push it as the week goes on.”
Mahomes has a great deal of experience treating injuries to the ankle.
He required every bit of assistance to heal from the most well-known one, which happened during the playoffs two seasons ago, so he could play the Eagles in the Super Bowl. In the first half, Mahomes made some adjustments once more, but he came back to help the Chiefs win.
“We won’t have to back off,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the two-time NFL MVP. “He manages it. He stays on top of it.”
The fact that Kansas City is playing the Broncos on a short week Sunday made every day of that process even more significant. It started right after Monday night’s game and continued at home. Mahomes was prepared for the first practice of the week on Wednesday after spending early Tuesday at the practice facility watching game film and receiving extra care.
“You can only do so much,” Mahomes said. “It was pretty late getting some stuff in the training room after the game, getting some stuff to take home. Stuff you can put on overnight to reduce swelling. You come in early in the morning — it was a long day of watching film and getting treatment, and preparing yourself for a short week.”
According to Reid, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been sidelined for the majority of the last three games due to a hamstring issue, and he still won’t be practicing. Tershawn Wharton, a defensive tackle, was also sidelined due to a bruised knee.
Additionally, Reid provided no updates regarding Isiah Pacheco and Charles Omenihu, both of whom the Chiefs expect to regain for the stretch run.
After undergoing surgery in February after tearing the ACL in his right knee during their AFC title victory over Baltimore, Omenihu has been on the physically unable-to-perform list for the whole season. After fracturing his fibula during a victory over Cincinnati in Week 2, Pacheco was placed on injured reserve and has been sidelined ever since.
By making some astute decisions in the front office, the Chiefs have been able to overcome a number of injuries, including devastating ones to Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown that weakened their wide receiver corps.
Joshua Uche, a defensive end for the Patriots, was acquired by Kansas City shortly before the deadline, and in Monday night’s victory over the Buccaneers, he made his debut as a pass-rushing specialist. Following Pacheco’s injury, the Chiefs also signed Kareem Hunt, and their former star has produced: In each of the last four games, he has carried the ball at least 21 yards, scored a touchdown, and twice gone over 100 yards, including the game-winning two-yard TD rush against Tampa Bay in overtime.
However, the Chiefs’ trade with Tennessee for DeAndre Hopkins may have been the most well-known of the transactions.
Before playing a little part in a victory in Las Vegas, the three-time All-Pro wide receiver only had two days of practice. After putting in a full week of preparation, he showed it on Monday night against the Bucs, catching eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
“You just continue to get him more and more comfortable in the offense,” Mahomes said. “We move him around and let him do what he’s special at, and that’s catching the football and winning those one-on-one matchups.”
Amy Cooper
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Palmer McAllister
