By not following the other 31 teams in their game plan, Andy Reid and the modern NFL dynasty have pushed themselves closer to three Super Bowls in five years. But these successes prompt speculation over the time when the risk will become too high by constantly pushing chips back.
The Chiefs now stand at 13-1, going into the playoffs, and are primed to become the first-ever team in the Super Bowl era to win three consecutive championships while starting Patrick Mahomes against the Houston Texans, less than a week after suffering a significant ankle injury. It sounds crazy on the outside, but Kansas City could very well regret taking such a huge risk with their franchise quarterback.
The Chiefs might be taking a huge risk by starting Patrick Mahomes vs the Texans
Patrick Mahomes, the starting quarterback for theKansas City Chiefs, will play on Saturday against the Houston Texans, despite suffering from an injury on Week 15 of the NFL practice season. However, the Chiefs could live to regret their gamble for the franchise quarterback.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury vs. the #ClevelandBrowns #kansascity#PatrickMahomeshttps://t.co/47yBpseeO5
— EBCNews (@Ebcnewsz) December 21, 2024
A mild-high ankle sprain was the cause for this injury. He limped off the field after being tackled by a defender during play. After it was speculated to be out with an injury for around four days, Mahomes revealed that he completed treatment for the ankle and intends to play. “It’s a short amount of time, I thought we did a good job yesterday and after the game as well,” Mahomes stated. “If I feel like I can play and go out there and win a football game, I will.”
One huge risk for the Chiefs would be having quarterback Mahomes run around all of the time, since this is exactly what he would be doing in the game. What makes ankle injuries really nasty is that they can be aggravated just like that when stepped or hit in the wrong way. Mahomes’ unique ability is to perform quite well on the run, but if he had to do so while nursing an injured ankle, it could bring about a large absence.
They play the Texans on Saturday and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday in the shortened schedule the Chiefs face in a two-week window. It could cause Mahomes to be thrown on his butt all game and worsen his ankle injury, making it potentially serious.
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As the Chiefs are now considering bringing Mahomes back this week in case the Bills end at 14-3, as they might take the last two games lightly in the quest for the No. 1 spot. Kansas City has shown itself as a strong playoff team, so in that regard, it makes sense to take the risk of having a potentially season-altering injury to a key part of their future for a game that could end up meaning very little in the overall long-term scheme of things.
