Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes experienced a frightening moment during Monday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he injured his ankle in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes had to be helped up, and for a few tense moments, it was unknown whether he could finish the game.
Fortunately, Mahomes stayed in the game and later threw a critical touchdown pass to help the Chiefs regain the lead.
After Tampa Bay tied the game to force overtime, Mahomes led a 10-play drive ending in a touchdown run by Kareem Hunt, clinching a 30-24 win and pushing Kansas City’s record to 8-0.
In 2022, Mahomes suffered a similar ankle injury in a playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading coach Andy Reid to bench him temporarily, despite Mahomes’ protests.
This time, Reid initially signalled to take Mahomes out again, much to the quarterback’s surprise.
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He said: “Definitely scary. I think it hurt more just because it’s the same ankle I rolled last week, so it scared me a little bit.
“When you don’t know exactly what happens and you get that sharp pain, you always fear the worst.
“I thought he was joking. I was like, ‘Come on, we’re not doing this again.’”
Reid even asked backup quarterback Carson Wentz to get ready, but he ultimately let Mahomes stay in after the quarterback insisted the injury wasn’t as severe as before.
Mahomes assured the media that he’s prepared to play in Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
He added: “I was obviously running for the goal line and was kind of committed to running the football and at the last second [passed to] Samaje, and so I kind of awkwardly rolled the ankle a little bit.
“You feel the pain, and that scares you, but as time went on, the pain subsided. I just kind of got back to it and felt comfortable going out there.”
