Will Patrick Mahomes play in Super Bowl LV?

Patrick Mahomes is the undisputed leader of the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the most captivating players to ever grace an NFL field. With his decision-making skills, physical intangibles, and ability to make magic happen when his team needs it most, Mahomes can best be described as the heart of the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes was banged up earlier in the preseason, being knocked out in a Divisional Round victory over the Browns, but returned for the AFC Championship Game vs. Buffalo. Mahomes has been dealing with his injuries for a few weeks now, but will they affect his status for the Super Bowl?

Patrick Mahomes will start in Super Bowl LV

Patrick Mahomes is not currently listed on Kansas City's injury report. Given the fact that he both started and finished the AFC Championship Game without any difficulties, it is expected that the young quarterback will be near 100 percent by kickoff time on February 7.

Patrick Mahomes' injuries were two-fold, as he was concussed on a big hit, and he also suffered from turf toe. Either of these injuries would be enough to sideline most players for at least a short period of time. However, the gutsy Mahomes worked to get back into the lineup and as a result, missed no action when Kansas City relied on him most.

If you look at return to play from turf toe injuries in @NFL players, the study by Tran et al showed that performance over the long term is okay but short term loss of playing time is significant. How this affects the ability of #Mahomes to run in the pocket remains to be seen. pic.twitter.com/KPjT6DwTIl

— Dr. Nirav Pandya, MD (@DrNiravPandya) January 23, 2021

A concussion can be a season-ender in many circumstances, and it's not unheard of for a concussion to bring a career to a screeching halt. Because of the seriousness of the injury, the NFL established what is referred to as concussion protocol, a series of guidelines and indicators that determine when a concussed player is considered capable of returning to the field.

Patrick Mahomes navigated concussion protocol flawlessly and rapidly, returning to Kansas City's lineup before a full week had passed. The NFL is careful about allowing players with concussions to jump back into live-action, so it can be assumed that there was no doubt about Mahomes' readiness when it came to getting back out on the field.

Turf toe is a nagging condition that makes it almost impossible for a player to bear any weight on whichever foot is affected. It is a sprain that affects the ligament at the base of the big toe. When a player suffers from turf toe, things as simple as running, changing direction, or maintaining balance can become arduous tasks.

Patrick Mahomes was reportedly more limited by the turf toe than by the concussion and may require surgery for the condition at some point over the offseason.

In the meantime, the plan of action for the superstar revolves around making sure that the injury does not get exacerbated in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

"It's feeling a lot better. The next day, it was very sore, but it's gotten a lot better every day since then...Luckily for me, this wasn't as bad as it looked and felt the day after."- Patrick Mahomes on his toe injury

— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) January 22, 2021

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feburary 7. Super Bowl LV is set to kick off at 6:30 pm EST.