The Kansas City Chiefs are dealing with a nightmare scenario in their playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is likely to win his second MVP this year, went down with what the team is calling a “high ankle sprain.”
Backup QB Chad Henne came in and helped lead a touchdown drive after Mahomes went to the locker room to be looked at by the Chiefs’ training staff. Henne finished the first half and the Chiefs led 17-0 at the break.
The good news for Chiefs fans is that Mahomes has returned to play in the third quarter. The bad news is that he is obviously in a lot of pain and his mobility has been significantly impacted.
How long will it take Patrick Mahomes to recover from a high ankle sprain?
If the Chiefs don’t win the game, Mahomes will have all offseason to heal. But what if Kansas City wins? How healthy will Mahomes be for the AFC Championship game?
Here is what we found out about high ankle sprain recovery time from Washington University Physicians:
"Despite the fact that most athletes who experience a low ankle sprain can return to sports within one to three weeks following the injury, those players who sustain a high ankle sprain are often out of sports for four to six weeks depending upon the injury severity. Sports that involve cutting and pivoting, such as football, are especially difficult to play in the setting of a high ankle sprain. The player’s position may also dictate the length of recuperation as running backs or linebackers who have to quickly change direction are often the most disabled with this injury. For those athletes who require surgery, sports activity can usually be resumed in approximately four months. Therefore, surgery for this injury typically results in an inability to return the same season. Once an athlete sustains an ankle sprain, he or she, unfortunately, is more prone to future injuries. It is for this reason that most NFL teams require their players to have their ankles taped or braced during competition in an attempt to reduce the risk for recurrence."
Yikes. It isn’t good news but it isn’t all bad news, either. Mahomes is a QB and while the injury is to his plant leg, unlike skill position players, Mahomes doesn’t have to do a lot of cutting or changing of direction. If Mahomes can manage the pain, he should be able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball. Of course, that is easy for me to say here sitting on my couch.
Mobility is a key aspect of Mahomes’ game, especially in the playoffs. Mahomes usually runs a lot more in high-leverage situations in the postseason. Given the severity of this type of ankle injury, it is likely that part of Mahomes’ game is going to be almost entirely eliminated. Mahomes is unlikely to be 100% for the rest of these playoffs.
The silver lining for Chiefs fans is that Patrick Mahomes has an incredibly strong arm and routinely makes the impossible look easy. If anyone can guide the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl with a high ankle sprain, it’s Patrick Mahomes.
UPDATE: Patrick Mahomes ankle MRI results
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mahomes had an MRI on his ankle this morning that confirmed that he does indeed have a high ankle sprain.
MRI today confirmed that Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain during Saturday’s win over the Jaguars, per league source. “Nothing more than that,” said one source, and Mahomes has said he plans to play in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 22, 2023
The recovery from a high ankle sprain is usually 6-8 weeks. The Chiefs will treat Mahomes aggressively this week but the fact of the matter is that the only true remedy for his injury is rest and time. Mahomes is going to have to gut it out and play through some pain if he does indeed plan to play.
Will Patrick Mahomes play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game despite his high ankle sprain?
As Adam Schefter mentioned in his tweet above, a source told him that Mahomes plans to play next week vs the Bengals. Mahomes himself provided a sort of update following today’s game that saw the Bengals defeat the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes didn’t say anything but did tweet out an emoji.
⏰
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 22, 2023
The clock makes things pretty clear. Mahomes is getting ready for his next game. The likely MVP already added to his legacy by playing through the injury and defeating the Jaguars. It is going to be a tall order but if Mahomes can beat the Bengals, who have defeated the Chiefs three-straight times, his legend will only grow.
Keep it here at Arrowhead Addict this week as we will bring you all the updates on how Mahomes’ high ankle sprain recovery is coming.