The "Patrick Mahomes ankle watch" will continue through the offseason, especially after the quarterback appeared to be visibly in pain during Super Bowl LVII, but the league MVP is confident the injury will not impact him too much going forward. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback said the high-ankle sprain will not impact OTAs.
He admitted that he will still need to rehab his ankle, but is confident he will be ready to go for all team activities for the 2023 season.
"I'll for sure be ready for OTAs and everything like that," he said (via NFL.com). "Obviously we will to continue to rehab, continue the treatment that we were doing, just give it some rest. I mean, I think the best thing for it is going to be rest."
Mahomes plans to take a "few weeks off" and will be ready come April. He joked that what will be impacted is his golf game.
Right before the second half, Mahomes appeared to aggravate his ankle on a third-down play. He was seen limping and wincing in pain on the sideline, but returned for the second half and exploded with a comeback to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. A collective gasp occurred as Chiefs fans wondered how the ankle he injured during the divisional win against the Jacksonville Jaguars would hold up.
The 27-year-old said his ankle started out better for the Super Bowl than it was against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the nature of a high-ankle sprain means it can get aggravated easily. He credits some halftime rehab with helping him get back on the field in good shape.
"Once you have that high-ankle sprain, when any little tweak like that happens, it just really magnifies it," Mahomes said. "Coming into the game, I felt way better than I did in the Cincinnati game. … Luckily we were able to get into halftime and get some new tape on (the ankle) and some movement to try and get some mobility back."
Mahomes' trainer Julie Frymyer and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt both admitted that No. 15's ankle would not be at 100% for the Super Bowl. Clearly even at less than full capacity, Mahomes is still top level, as if there was any doubt. He helped lead the team to the second-largest Super Bowl comeback of all-time and earned MVP honors at the end of the night.
Mahomes went 21 of 27 with 182 yards, three touchdowns and, even with a less than 100% ankle, rushed for 44 yards.
"Taking in this whole year, and everything that's come with it, man, I just want to thank my teammates," he said. "It was a heck of a run."
The Chiefs will look to have another "heck of a run" in 2023, and with a healthy Mahomes, it is clear why they are the early favorite for Super Bowl LVIII.
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