The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game next Sunday but all eyes in the Chiefs Kingdom are on the health of Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain last night in the Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. Mahomes left the game briefly but was able to return, leading his team to a key drive late in the game to seal the victory. Despite returning, however, Mahomes was clearly in a lot of pain and his mobility was greatly impacted, as were some of his throws.
The recovery time for a high ankle sprain can vary depending on the severity of the injury. In mild cases, recovery may take a few weeks to a month, while more severe sprains can take several months to fully heal. Physical therapy and rehabilitation exercises are often prescribed to help improve the range of motion and strength in the ankle. In some cases, the use of a brace or splint may be necessary to support the ankle during the healing process. I
Unfortunately for Mahomes and the Chiefs, they only have 7 days for healing, not 7 weeks.
What was Jay Glazer’s update about Patrick Mahomes’ high ankle sprain?
Tonight there was some good news for Chiefs fans on the Mahomes injury front. In the pregame coverage leading up to the NFL Divisional round matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, Fox’s NFL insider Jay Glazer gave a quick update on Mahomes’ injury.
Glazer said:
“Patrick Mahomes’ MRI today confirmed that he has in fact, a high ankle sprain but I was told by people in the Chiefs today that he woke up WAY better today than they thought he would. He’s still going to be dealing with the injury all week long but he expects to play next week.”
If you follow Glazer, you know he is as tapped into the NFL as anyone. This is a pretty shocking update for Chiefs fans, in a good way, of course. Mahomes looked extremely hobbled last night and it would have been reasonable to expect that once he started resting the ankle and swelling and stiffness set in that Mahomes would be feeling worse than when the adrenaline was pumping through him vs. the Jaguars.
While Mahomes’ injury isn’t ideal, all of these types of injuries happen on a spectrum. Some can be worse than others and while Mahomes’ injury is severe, the fact that he is likely experiencing less pain and stiffness today than expected could be a sign that his injury is less severe than it could have been.
With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, that is good news for Chiefs Kingdom.