The Chiefs have dealt with numerous questions about Patrick Mahomes’ health since Kansas City’s star quarterback went down with an ankle injury in the team’s divisional-round playoff game against the Jaguars.
Mahomes has missed only limited action since suffering the injury. That came in the game against the Jaguars, where he sat out the Chiefs’ final two first-half drives before returning after halftime.
Since then, the 27-year-old has remained on the field.
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Still, questions about Mahomes’ status have persisted. Why? Because it was clear that in the Chiefs’ 23-20 win over the Bengals that he wasn’t quite 100 percent. He was seen limping around the field at times and didn’t showcase the same type of mobility that we are accustomed to seeing from him.
Will that carry over into the 2023 Super Bowl? With two weeks between games, many are wondering whether Mahomes will be back at full strength or if he will still be somewhat hampered by that injury issue.
Here’s what to know about Mahomes’ ankle as he prepares to play in Super Bowl 57.
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Andy Reid was asked about Mahomes’ ankle injury at a news conference on Wednesday. While the Chiefs coach cautioned that his quarterback wasn’t quite at 100 percent, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini, he seemed encouraged by the progress that Mahomes is making ahead of the big game.
“He’s been doing really well with his ankle,” Reid said, per Chiefs.com’s Matt McMullen. “We had a fast practice a couple days ago, and he moved well. He can really do just about everything that we’ve asked him to do.”
Mahomes agreed with Reid’s statement. He came to the podium a few hours after his coach and said that he was “definitely in a better spot” than he was in the Chiefs’ win against the Bengals.
“I can move around better than I did two weeks ago,” he said, per McMullen. “I’ll be able to move around better for sure, and we’ll see on game day how close to 100 percent I can be.”
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Even if Mahomes isn’t back to 100 percent, the Chiefs will be ecstatic if he is moving better than he did against the Bengals. He was clearly hobbled during that 23-20 Chiefs win, but he still completed 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He should fare better if his ankle is better, even against a strong Eagles defense.
Either way, it doesn’t seem like Mahomes is in any danger of missing Super Bowl 57. Still, the Chiefs will need to protect him against the Eagles to ensure that backup Chad Henne isn’t needed to relieve him.
That will be no easy task, as the fierce Philadelphia pass rush has racked up 78 sacks during the regular and postseasons combined.
