Patrick Mahomes Aiming to Play in AFC Championship Game vs. Bengals amid Ankle Injury

Featured Columnist IVJanuary 23, 2023

KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 21: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs drops back to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 21, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes is planning to give it a go in Sunday's AFC Championship rematch against the Cincinnati Bengals despite his high-ankle sprain.

James Palmer @JamesPalmerTV
Andy Reid said that Patrick Mahomes' mindset right now is that he's going to play Sunday. Reid added that they're going to take it day by day.

Adam Teicher @adamteicher
Andy Reid on Mahomes: "He's worked hard on the treatment and is doing OK.''

Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in his team's divisional-round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He initially went into the locker room for testing but returned in the second half to help the Chiefs advance.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, X-rays were negative, but the quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain.

Despite the severity of the injury, Mahomes was confident he would be back on the field for the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

"They haven't diagnosed anything yet, but I'll be good to go," he told NBC's Melissa Stark.

The 27-year-old showed his toughness in the playoff win over Jacksonville, adding to an impressive year that featured an NFL-best 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns during the regular season. He is a favorite to win his second career MVP award in five seasons as a starter.

The Texas Tech product is also a major reason why the Chiefs are considered a top contender to win the Super Bowl, although those chances take a significant hit if he has to miss more time.

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Chad Henne briefly replaced Mahomes and would fill in again if needed. The 37-year-old has been in the NFL for 16 seasons, although he threw just two passes during the regular season and has just one start since 2014.