Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to start against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 15, after the team consulted multiple doctors about his injured elbow.
Mahomes suffered the injury during Kansas City’s November 8 victory over the New York Jets. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs’ medical staff reviewed his scans before seeking additional opinions from two doctors who specialize in treating baseball players.
The examinations revealed a muscle strain and what one source described as “a very small sprain of his UCL.”
All the doctors who reviewed the scans agreed that Mahomes could safely return to the field, although the quarterback continued dealing with soreness and received treatment throughout the week.
Mahomes participated in practice and took all his throws ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Chiefs Consulted 2 MLB Doctors About Patrick Mahomes’ Elbow Injury
The Chiefs turned to doctors affiliated with the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers because elbow injuries are more common in baseball, particularly among pitchers.
Rick Burkholder, Kansas City’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, contacted Dr. Vincent Key shortly after the Jets game.
Key, the Royals’ head team physician, specializes in Tommy John surgery and newer techniques for repairing the ulnar collateral ligament, commonly known as the UCL.
After reviewing Mahomes’ scans, Key reportedly believed the Chiefs and their quarterback “got away with one.”
He also recommended that the team seek another opinion.
The Chiefs then contacted Dr. Keith Meister, the Rangers’ team physician and orthopedic consultant, on Sunday night.
Meister is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in elbow and shoulder injuries.
Both doctors promptly reviewed Mahomes’ scans and reached similar conclusions. According to sources, they believed the quarterback had primarily suffered a muscle strain and avoided a potentially more serious injury.
The Chiefs sought the additional evaluations because of the importance of Mahomes, whose contract is worth approximately $500 million.
Patrick Mahomes’ Trainer Shares Exercises That Help Prepare Him for Injuries
Following the Jets game, Mahomes’ longtime trainer, Bobby Stroupe, shared videos of the quarterback performing exercises designed to improve strength, mobility and stability.
Stroupe, who has worked with Mahomes since high school, posted the footage on Instagram after a fan asked about the quarterback’s elbow preparation.
“Strength is an expression, not a measurement,” Stroupe wrote.
“These are weekly movements we have done for decades that target; Tissue resilience, force absorption, mobility, stability, flexibility.”
Stroupe explained that the exercises are part of Mahomes’ regular training routine rather than something introduced following his latest injury.
“The game has risk you cannot control but you can proactively prepare for your best chance when you are put in those situations,” he added.
The videos showed Mahomes working through movements intended to help his body handle the physical demands of playing quarterback.
Fox Sports 1’s Nick Wright shared Stroupe’s training video on X and discussed the work Mahomes puts in throughout the year.
“This is what I was talking about yesterday,” Wright wrote.
“Obviously, some of what makes Mahomes special is his toughness, but it’s also his year-round preparation that allows him to withstand the type of hit he took Sunday and simply get hurt from it, rather than have a season-ending injury.”
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