It's the hot-button topic in Chiefs Kingdom these days: What will the Kansas City do at the quarterback position when they host the Houston Texans on Saturday? It's a short week or practice, Patrick Mahomes just suffered an ankle sprain, and the Chiefs brought in Carson Wentz to upgrade the backup QB role.
So far, Mahomes is taking starter's reps in practice despite his physical limitations, and the Texans are prepping for Mahomes over Wentz already. But is that the right thing to do?
We recently polled our writers with a round table about how they would handle the situation on Saturday. Check out their responses below.
Price Carter
The Chiefs cannot play Patrick Mahomes on short rest on a high ankle sprain while they have the best record in the NFL. They are only four weeks away from the start of the playoffs and these types of injuries can often sideline a player for 2-3 weeks. Having the #1 seed is a great advantage but it means nothing if they don't have a healthy version of Patrick Mahomes. There can be some benefits to the team working around a competent backup as well. I still believe the two games of Matt Moore helped bring a Super Bowl to Kansas City in 2019. The Chiefs had to realize Pat just can't bail them out of everything all the time.
Ideally, they stand a decent chance against a disappointing Texans team at home on short rest with a competent backup. Wentz has his flaws but the team is better off if they go into this week of preparation with him leading the game plan. If they happen to pull off a win against the Texans I'd sit Mahomes against the Steelers too. It leaves a situation where Mahomes can get 20+ days of rest before having to start against the Broncos if needed in a game that Denver might be locked into seeding and benching their starters too.
Max Cashio
The Chiefs would be wise to sit Mahomes this Saturday against the Texans. The #1 seed in the AFC will still be the Chiefs to lose, even if they drop one to Houston. It is far more beneficial for the long-term success of this season and beyond for Mahomes to get 10 days of rest before a Christmas Day matchup with Pittsburgh (another vaunted defensive unit). Carson Wentz is a dependable backup, and far and away the best backup of the "Mahomes Era", it wouldn't be a stretch for Wentz to pull out a victory on Saturday either. A healthy Mahomes is what this team needs, no matter the price.
Braden Holocek
I do not think the Chiefs should play Patrick Mahomes on Saturday if he is not fully healthy. Add in the quick stretch of games, and Kansas City should just keep the postseason in mind. We have seen this team turn it up a notch when the calendar flips to the postseason. More rest and preparation for future weeks means much more for the Chiefs at this point in the season, compared to what a win on Saturday would mean. Kansas City already has the division title clinched and they only have a single loss. Let Mahomes regather his sea legs, per se, and play things smart for the most important part of the season down the line.
Felix Johnson
No, they shouldn't play him, but he's going to be ds annoying about it. Eric Bieniemy called him a "competitive so-and-so" a few years back for good reason and we all watched the fit he threw after he got hurt in the Jacksonville divisional game en route to Super Bowl LVII. Even in a two-score game (a mountain for Chiefs opponents), Mahomes' eyes were planted squarely on Carson Wentz, seemingly hoping for a pick-six to put the game in jeopardy and him back under center. Any team with 13 wins and a hobbled quarterback should consider rest, but Patrick is a...prick. (Sorry for the profanity again, but this one wasn't on me).
Scott Loring
The Chiefs don't even allow Mahomes to run a quarterback sneak. It would be careless to play Mahomes on a high ankle sprain just four days before the Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh. The ceiling is not worth the floor. The main priority is a healthy QB in the playoffs (1-seed or not), and there is no need to rush a hobbled Mahomes out there and potentially exacerbate the injury. Option 1: trot Mahomes out, maybe win the game, and maybe knock him out for the season.
Option 2: start Carson Wentz instead, maybe win the game, and rest Mahomes. If the goal is the 1-seed, the Chiefs don't need to win this game. Even if Kansas City loses and Buffalo wins in Week 16, the Chiefs will still be in the driver's seat in the conference race. But the 1-seed isn't the priority; the main goal is the Super Bowl. A simple risk-vs-reward assessment makes this an easy decision.
Jacob Milham
At first glance, I would say no. The Texans are the top AFC Wild Card team right now but hold on to that spot by a thin margin. They will bring their A-game against Kansas City, so why shouldn't the Chiefs? However, scheduling ultimately plays the deciding role. Fans already knew how the next three games that were going to fall on the calendar would test the Chiefs, but this injury puts that on a higher level. Veach always adds a veteran backup for this reason, so Wentz should get the nod in Week 16, letting Mahomes heal up more for the Christmas matchup.
Greg Morse
I would hate to see Mahomes miss any games because of injury, but if he's going to, it probably should be this game against the Texans. He has consistently been getting beat up and really could use the rest. If the Chiefs sit him on Saturday, they still have a good chance to win the game with Carson Wentz and their defense. That would also give Mahomes about 10 days of rest which is often considered a mini-bye before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas. Whatever the decision and outcome of the next two weeks ends up being, I think the Chiefs starters will get some sort of bye before the playoffs. That will either come in the form of an actual bye in the first round or sitting their starters in the final week of the season. Since that is the case I think the Chiefs should play it safe and let Wentz drive the car for a week.
Charles Robinson
If the Lions had pulled off a win against the Bills last night I would have said, 'Yes, sit Mahomes in Week 16.' The bottom line here, though, is that if the Chiefs win against Houston and then can pull off a win against the Steelers on Christmas Day, Mahomes rest will come in the form of a 2-week bye in Week 18 and Wild Card weekend having the AFC's 1 seed. Take care of business these next two weeks and put your best foot forward, even if that foot is attached to a sprained ankle. It will be on Andy Reid and the Chiefs offensive staff to put together a game plan against the Texans that minimizes risk for Mahomes.
Stacy Smith
Patrick Mahomes should play because the margin for error to secure the 1 seed is paper thin. The Bills won't drop another game with the Patriots and Jets on their remaining slate. There are no "gimme" games left for Kansas City. If Mahomes can go, he should go.
Lucas Strozinsky
The Chiefs should rest Patrick Mahomes against the Texans on Saturday. First and foremost, he will be nowhere near 100%, and additional rest would only serve to help him. A healthy-enough Mahomes is a non-negotiable for the team's three-peat aspirations. Moreover, the Chiefs can very well win without him. The Texans' offensive line isn’t good, they did some shuffling after their Week 14 bye week, creating an opportunity for the defense to dominate again. In that scenario, the offense would only need to score 17-20 points, a realistic target with Carson Wentz.