Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has high ankle sprain, status for Houston still unclear, AP source says

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a high ankle sprain, further tests confirmed, and his status for this week’s game against Houston remains in doubt, a person familiar with the results told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce any updates. The Chiefs did not have their usual availability Monday, but are scheduled to practice Tuesday ahead of their Saturday game with the Texans.

Mahomes was injured when his ankle was rolled up while being tackled by Browns’ Dalvin Tomlinson on a fourth down play late in the Chiefs’ 21-7 victory Sunday. Mahomes limped to the sideline and Carson Wentz played the rest of the way in his place, but the two-time MVP insisted afterward that he would have lobbied to play if the Browns had gotten within one score.

“I feel like I could have finished the game under different circumstances,” Mahomes said afterward, “but I thought the smart decision I think we talked about was putting Carson in, and he’s been playing a lot of football , and he finished the game well.”

Mahomes has a history of ankle injuries, including a similar one against Jacksonville in Week 1 of the 2019 season. But perhaps most memorably was the playoffs of the 2022 season, when Mahomes hurt his ankle in a divisional-round win over the Jaguars, then lived through the pain to beat Cincinnati for the AFC title and Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

“I mean, they’re all different. Every injury is different,” Mahomes said. “You know what you have to do to get back. And I think that’s the most important thing. And now we just get back to the rehab part — the treatment part — and try to get ready in a short week against a good football team.”

In fact, the schedule doesn’t do the Chiefs any favors. They have one less recovery day this week because of their Saturday game against Houston, then have another short week with a trip to Pittsburgh scheduled for Christmas Day.

“We’ll just see how it goes,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after Sunday’s game. “We’re going to go day by day as we go through it. I don’t know how much swelling he has or any of that, so we don’t know what’s coming.”

The Chiefs (13-1) hold a two-game lead over Buffalo for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, though the Bills hold the tiebreaker. The Texans have won the AFC South, while the Steelers lead the AFC North and have clinched a playoff spot.

Kansas City closes out the regular season with a trip to the Broncos, who are also closing in on a postseason berth.

If the Chiefs play it safe by resting Mahomes on Saturday — and even next week against Pittsburgh — they feel confident in Wentz’s ability to win a game. A 2017 Pro Bowl selection during his first five seasons in Philadelphia, he is 47-45-1 as a starter, including his year in Indianapolis, another in Washington and a single start last season for the Rams.

Wentz, who signed a $3.325 million contract with Kansas City to replace Blaine Gabbert as Mahomes’ backup, completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards and helped the Chiefs run out the Browns on Sunday.

“I have a lot of confidence in Carson,” Mahomes said. “I mean, he’s played football and he’s won football games and put him out there and they did a great job of moving the football time off the clock and putting us in a position to win the football game.”

NOTES: The Chiefs waived RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Monday. He was the 32nd overall pick in the 2020 draft, but ran for just 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns while appearing in 48 games over four years in Kansas City. The well-liked Edwards-Helaire dealt with injuries and personal issues throughout his career and had not appeared in a game this season.

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