What happened to Patrick Mahomes? Chiefs QB out after limping off the field vs Browns

It was a sight that could send every Chiefs fan into a cold sweat as star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered an injury against the Browns on Sunday. The Kansas City player was injured in the fourth quarter with his team leading 21-7 against Cleveland. A win here cements the Chiefs' position as the top spot in the AFC with just one loss all year while their contenders, the Bills, play later today against the NFC-leading Lions.

On fourth down, he managed to get rid of the ball just as he was about to be tackled, but then the combined weight of the defenders dragged him and left him in a heap. His lower body looked stuck in an awkward position, and his legs got stuck underneath.

He got up and hobbled away from the game as Carson Wentz took his spot. It is unclear if the decision was made to protect him from further injury with the playoffs coming up or if it was a replacement because he could not carry on. He was officially reported as questionable to return with an ankle injury.

It was later reported that Patrick Mahomes had to be carted away from the locker room. He did not look in too much discomfort as he was seen browsing on his mobile phone but that he was not walking off on his own power will leave Chiefs fans wondering when they can get a more concrete update through next week.

Head coach Andy Reid provided an encouraging update by later revealing that the quarterback had wanted to come back in and was discouraged by the staff because the situation against the Browns was manageable. He also said that Patrick Mahomes did not have any broken bones, saying,

“It’s sore. It’ll literally be day to day. He probably could’ve gone back in. He wanted to go back in. There was no need for that.”

Patrick Mahomes has a history of overcoming ankle injuries to lead Chiefs to championships

Before fans of other teams decide to thank their lucky stars that Patrick Mahomes will not line up against them in the playoffs, it is instructive to see how resilient the quarterback has been over the years.

In the 2022 season, he suffered an ankle injury in the playoffs against the Jaguars. He shrugged it off and would go on to lead his team to victory in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. He reaggravated the injury in the first half of that game, only to return and lead a comeback victory.

Earlier this year, he injured his ankle in a game against the Raiders before reaggravating it the following week against the Buccaneers. He played through the pain in both games and led the Chiefs to victory.

However, what will concern Kansas City supporters is that their quarterback is getting so many ankle injuries. A repetition in the same spot does not bode well for his future if improperly handled, even though there have been no such suggestions yet.