Patrick Mahomes was diagnosed with a dislocated patella knee injury but his exact return timeline is in flux. It was originally reported that Mahomes would miss at least three weeks, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that the Chiefs quarterback is looking to return to the field even sooner.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a dislocated kneecap Thursday night against Denver, could return in three weeks, if not sooner, league sources told ESPN.
The Chiefs are expected to exercise extreme caution with Mahomes, and the time off will allow him to rest his knee and high ankle sprain.
As Schefter noted, Mahomes has also been dealing with a high-ankle injury since Week 1. The good news is Mahomes practiced during Week 8, but is still widely expected to miss at least a couple games as he recovers. Chiefs’ journalist BJ Kissell reported that Mahomes began practicing on October 23rd.
“#Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Patrick Mahomes will practice today, but Matt Moore will make the “majority” of the team reps. But when asked, Reid once again didn’t rule out Mahomes for Sunday,” Kissel tweeted.
Mahomes’ Return Timeline Has Ranged From 3-to-8 Weeks
The reported return timeline for Mahomes has varied from three to eight weeks depending on the report. If Mahomes’ injury would have required surgery, the Chiefs quarterback would likely have missed the rest of the season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Chiefs had not discussed surgery “at all” leading up to Week 8.
“From @NFLGameDay: #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is out 3-5 weeks, either back in Week 11 or after the bye in Week 13. Two key points: He avoided major injury by not moving on the field and surgery wasn’t discussed at all during the week,” Rapoport tweeted.
Mahomes MRI Results Were Called the “Best-Case Scenario”
Many feared Mahomes’ injury sustained against the Broncos could sideline him for the rest of the season. Schefter reported that Mahomes’ MRI results revealed a “best-case scenario.”
“Patrick Mahomes’ MRI was, in the words of a league source, ‘good’ and it ‘turned out to be a best-case scenario.’ Prior to MRI, team believed best-case scenario was Mahomes missing ‘about three games,’” Schefter noted on Twitter.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid Has Refused to Put a Timeline on Mahomes’ Recovery
Video: #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes returns to the practice field six days removed from a kneecap dislocation.
While there have been numerous reported timelines, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has refused to put a date on Mahomes’ recovery. Reid noted that the process is fluid and depends on how quick Mahomes’ is able to respond to the treatment, emphasizing “nothing is impossible” with the Chiefs’ QB1.
“I don’t think you put a timeline on this thing,” Reid explained to ESPN. “You go off how he feels and what the doctors say and go with it. I don’t think there’s a set time, though. I know people want a time, but I don’t think you can do that with this injury…When you’ve been around him long enough, you know that there’s nothing impossible with this kid. He goes 100 miles an hour, and it’s important — and he’s smart this way — that he listens to the doctors and the trainers and he needs to work hard at the same time to get himself ready to go.”
If Mahomes is able to progress as quickly as some reports indicate, the Chiefs’ quarterback could return as soon as Week 10 against the Titans or Week 11 versus the Chargers.
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Patrick Mahomes’ Injury: When Will Chiefs QB Return to Play Again?