Patrick Mahomes is expressing some dismay over the gauntlet that the Chiefs have on the horizon.
The Chiefs play on the road against the Browns this Sunday, then host the Texans next Saturday before traveling to Pittsburgh for a Christmas Day game the following Wednesday — a stretch of three games in just 11 days.
Mahomes believes the jammed schedule is unhealthy.
“It is not a good feeling,” Mahomes said Wednesday, as covered by USA Today. “I’m excited to play on Christmas to hopefully get back from what we did last year [when the Chiefs lost on Christmas to the Raiders], but you never want to play this many games in this short of time. It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.”
Nevertheless, as this rough spell on the calendar did not come as a surprise, the quarterback acknowledged he’s been trying to prepare his body “all year long for this stretch.”
“The coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice hard as anybody, but they know how to kind of dial it back when we need it,” Mahomes continued.
Mahomes was not the only Chiefs star wary of the logjam.
Star pass rusher Chris Jones said he would be taking concerns up with the players union.
“One thing I’m doing this offseason is I’m going to the NFLPA, especially with us having three games in a [11-day] span, that we’re mandatory to have a late bye week,” Jones said. “With our schedule, it’s kind of awkward, to say the least. That’s a conversation to have this offseason. If a team has somewhat of a schedule like that, they have a mandatory late-season bye.”
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs have the NFL’s best record at 12-1. They lead the Bills and Steelers by two games for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
All four teams that play on Christmas — the Chiefs, Steelers, Texans and Ravens — have the same situation of playing three games in 11 days.
The Christmas Day doubleheader will air on Netflix, the streaming service’s first foray into live NFL rights.
