The Kansas City Chiefs got back in the win column with a double-digit win over the New York Jets. While the Chiefs ultimately won the game in blowout fashion, things weren't necessarily looking great in the second quarter.
With a 14-12 lead and the ball on the Chiefs' own 37-yard line, Mahomes dropped back to pass but was hit by Jets rookie David Bailey. It ended up being a lost fumble recovered by the Jets, but the more worrisome story was that Mahomes was clearly in a lot of pain after the hit. He was holding his elbow and wincing in pain as he walked to the sideline.
Chiefs fans were definitely nervous at that point, wondering if they had seen the last of Mahomes for the afternoon and potentially longer. Well, the Chiefs quarterback was back on the field on the ensuing drive and played for the rest of the game.
Mahomes, Reid speak about elbow injury
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed reporters shortly after the game and was asked about Mahomes' ability to return. Reid explained that the in-game medical attention from trainers got him through it and that the team would have to see how he felt going forward.
"We’ll see how he does. I’m sure he’s gonna be sore tomorrow. Julie [Frymyer, trainer] worked on him the whole time on the sideline, keeping it loose. We’ll just see where it goes. She did a nice job with that," Reid said when asked about the injury.
Mahomes admitted that the injury is "part of the game" and opened up about the mental hurdles of getting hurt again after suffering a season-ending injury last December—a torn ACL against the Chargers in Week 15.
"If I’m able to play, I’m gonna play," said Mahomes. "That’s part of the game. That’s part of playing. Obviously, it didn’t feel great, but I was able to kind of get it worked on a little bit, especially at halftime. I was able to go out there and play the rest of the game. You just never know what’s going to be the final result or outcome of an injury, but at the same time, you just try to let the doctors and trainers do their work.
"[It's] definitely something that scares you more than anything, but we were able to get out there and give it a go. I feel good now. You get the win, and obviously adrenaline’s pumping. I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow," Mahomes said.
Mahomes also talked about how it was Bailey who had the hit on him. Bailey attended Mahomes' alma mater of Texas Tech, and the aggressive hit didn't surprise the Chiefs' QB in the slightest. "[Bailey] did that at Texas Tech a lot. That’s why he was drafted second overall. I saw that a lot on TV. I don’t like being the guy that’s getting hit, so I’ll try to stay away from that.”
Chiefs await further news on Mahomes' elbow
The good news here is that both Reid and Mahomes seemed optimistic about the injury. Also, it's obviously reassuring that Mahomes was healthy enough to go back into the game. If it had been more severe, that surely wouldn't have been the case.
As Reid said, "well just see where it goes". Hopefully, good news is coming.
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