Even amid the pressure that comes with an NFL playoff game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on Saturday night never lost sight of what’s most important.
Reid prioritized the health and safety of Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City’s star quarterback injured his ankle late in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ divisional-round matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mahomes finished the drive on which the injury occurred, but he was replaced by Chad Henne for Kansas City’s next possession as he underwent tests at Arrowhead Stadium.
Had Mahomes had it his way, he never would have exited the contest. But as the 2022 MVP frontrunner revealed after the Chiefs’ 27-20 win, Reid wasn’t going to let him play until tests deemed he was OK to do so.
“I wanted just to continue to play,” Mahomes told reporters, per ESPN.com. “I told (Reid) I would do it at halftime, but coach, in the best interests of me, he made me go back there and get that X-ray before he put me back in the game.
“I thought I could play through it, and then he said, ‘I’m not putting you back in, so you might as well go get the X-ray, and then if it’s negative or whatever, I’ll put you back in.’ So I ran back there, got the X-ray and was able to finish the game.”
Reid admitted it was “hard” to get Mahomes out of the game and acknowledged the sixth-year pro was on “a short leash” upon returning. Mahomes finished the game with his lowest passing yardage total (195) since Week 13 of last season to go along with two touchdown passes.
Considering Mahomes played every offensive snap for the Chiefs following his tests and wasn’t sporting any protective gear on his ankle after the game, there’s virtually no doubt he’ll play in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. Kansas City will battle either the Buffalo Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals with a trip to Super Bowl LVII on the line.
