The Kansas City Chiefs have sent some mixed signals about the timeline for Patrick Mahomes to return from his season-ending knee injury, but one insider believes no one has the answer just yet.
Mahomes has been progressing through rehab for his torn ACL and LCL, a complicated injury that does not have a clear timeline for his return. While both Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid have been optimistic on his ability to start the season, team owner Clark Hunt has been more measured in his prediction of when Mahomes will take the field.
Patrick Mahomes Has No Clear Injury Comparison
Reporter Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star believes the truth is somewhere in the middle.
In an update on the biggest questions facing the team this offseason, Sweeney wrote that it’s difficult to find an injury comparable to Mahomes. While a traditional ACL tear takes anywhere from nine to 12 months, Mahomes also tore another ligament.
“Itâs difficult to answer because all we have to go off of are less-serious injuries,” Sweeney wrote. In 2019, Mahomes returned from a dislocated knee after two absences. During the 2020 playoffs, he guided the Chiefs to the Super Bowl with turf toe, then won it in 2022 with a high-ankle sprain.”
Sweeney noted that the Chiefs brought in a big insurance policy, trading for longtime starter Justin Fields. But he said the team’s optimism around Mahomes may ultimately win out.
“If he canât go to start the season, the Chiefs have said they feel good about Justin Fields â but Iâm with Reid. Answer: I wouldnât bet against Mahomes, either,” Sweeney wrote.
Hunt has not been quite as positive as Reid, however. The Chiefs owner told Front Office Sports last week that he believes the Chiefs won’t be scheduled in the season opener against Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks due to the uncertainty around Mahomes.
âI donât think thatâs on the table anymore for us to be in Seattle [for the opener],â Hunt said. âFrom a league standpoint, I think there would be some concern whether our quarterback will be ready to go. My guess is the league wonât want to take that risk.â
Chiefs Could Have Another Role for Justin Fields
The Chiefs appear confident that Fields could start the season if Mahomes isn’t ready, but some NFL insiders believe they could have plans for him beyond that. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that Fields could see playing time throughout the season, coming in for some special packages with Mahomes on the bench.
âMaybe Justin Fields is gonna be a guy who has a package just to keep Patrick Mahomes from doing too much,â Florio said. âThe possibilities are endless.â
ESPN’s Mina Kimes shared a similar prediction, noting that Fields could unlock a play that the Chiefs have been avoiding with Mahomes under center.
âThey could also install some packages for Fields,â Kimes said. âThey havenât been able to use quarterback sneaks with Patrick Mahomes. Well, now youâve got a quarterback who you can run sneaks with.â
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Chiefs Hit With Reality Check on Patrick Mahomes Injury appeared first on Heavy Sports.