Is Patrick Mahomes playing vs Texans? Exploring Chiefs QB's availability for NFL Divisional showdown

The Chiefs have had a long time off before their Divisional Round tie against the Texans and starters like Patrick Mahomes even more so. As they are seeded first in the AFC, Kansas City had a bye week in the Wild Card round. However, they wrapped up that spot in Week 17 against the Steelers, so their starters rested in the final week of the regular season.

Therefore, Patrick Mahomes has not been on the field since their win in Pittsburgh. That is not bad for him or the other Chiefs' stars since they will now arrive refreshed for the postseason. As they look to pick up a historic third-straight Super Bowl, they will need everyone to contribute, starting with their quarterback.

Patrick Mahomes Divisional Round injury update

Patrick Mahomes has been battling an ankle injury for the latter part of the season. He had to leave mid-game in Week 15 against the Browns after injuring his ankle and there were fears that he would be out for a significant duration when he did not return for the remainder of the match.

However, he was back in Week 16 against the Texans and did not show any adverse impacts. The star quarterback continued in the same vein in Week 17, which became his last appearance for the 2024 regular season.

Therefore, he comes into this Divisional Round rematch against Houston after a rest of two weeks. The bad news is that it still has not been enough to remove him fully from the injury report. He is still listed there but he was a full participant for the entirety of last week. Patrick Mahomes does not have any game designation and is, therefore, slated to lead his team out against the Texans in Kansas City.

How has Patrick Mahomes performed this season?

Patrick Mahomes began the season slowly but was back to his best in the second half of the season as the Chiefs finished with a 15-1 record in the games that he started. Kansas City's only other loss came in the final week against Denver when he, and other starters, did not feature.

In the first seven games, Mahomes threw nine interceptions. He also had eight touchdown passes in that period. Even though he was still crucial in critical moments, his form was not where it needed to be. There were many ameliorating factors with offensive weapons such as Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Isiah Pacheco facing injuries.

Since that stretch, the Chiefs quarterback has been back to his best self. Beginning in November, he threw 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Both of those came in a single game against the Bills, which turned out to be Patrick Mahomes' only loss in 2024.

He finished the season with 26 touchdowns, 11 picks, 3,928 yards, and a 93.5 passer rating. His form in the latter half of the season, though, shows that offense is clicking into gear and he is coming into this Divisional Round game fully rested.

Kansas City made a habit of winning close games throughout the year. When they met the Texans in the regular season, they won 27-19, one of the umpteen times the Chiefs have won by a single score. Patrick Mahomes did not get picked off in that clash and threw for a single touchdown. He also went for 260 yards through the air. That was one week after leaving the field with an ankle injury. Now, he comes into this matchup with ample recovery time and not missing any practice.

Playoff Mahomes is also a different beast as Houston knows only too well. The last time they met in a Divisional Round, the quarterback engineered a 51-31 comeback victory after being down 24-0 at one point.