Patrick Mahomes injury update: Chiefs QB 'eager' to test injured ankle

If Patrick Mahomes ever decides to hang up his cleats and change career paths, he would probably make a great exterminator.

The Chiefs quarterback might have the best injury bug spray in the business, as evidenced by years of avoiding disaster on the football field. Just when you think he's done, Mahomes pulls off another magic trick to enter the game again. The latest chapter in that ongoing book came during "Monday Night Football" against the Buccaneers in Week 9.

Following a scramble to his right, Mahomes lobbed a touchdown pass to Samaje Perine. While Arrowhead faithful celebrated, silence quickly fell over the big crowd in attendance as No. 15 laid on the field in pain. After trainers helped him off the field, it was unclear whether the team's hopes of winning a third straight Super Bowl ended that night.

However, it didn't take long for that anxiousness to turn to jubilation, as Mahomes never missed a snap and returned for the next drive. Kansas City posted another win, but the bigger one came when they learned their franchise quarterback would be fine. Now, the intrigue shifts to whether he'll be hampered or sidelined in Week 10 against the Broncos. Here is the latest injury update on Mahomes.

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Patrick Mahomes injury update

After the initial images conveyed a terrifying image, Mahomes was able to remain in the game and lead Kansas City to an overtime win on "Monday Night Football."

Despite his ability to continue, there is always concern about how a player will feel after the adrenaline wears off. It's unclear how Mahomes might feel, but he told reporters on Wednesday that he is eager to test his sore ankle in practice.

"When you have a little bit of a roll, it's a little bit sore,'' Mahomes said. "But I'm able to move around and look forward to getting out to practice and seeing how I can push it as the week goes on.''

Mahomes was listed as a full practice participant to begin the practice week. That's a good sign for the quarterback, considering the nature of playing on a short week. With one less day to recover, it would've seemed likely that Mahomes would've logged a limited day at best.

"You can only do so much,'' Mahomes said. "It's pretty late [after Monday night's game], but getting some stuff in the training room after the game, then getting some stuff to take home that you throw on there, stuff you can do overnight that you put on there to kind of reduce swelling and stuff like that."

He said he received treatment and did some rehab on Tuesday to prepare for the start of practice this week. It'll be worth monitoring to see how Mahomes' ankle responds to practice this week, but the Chiefs appear to have avoided a nightmare.

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When was Patrick Mahomes injured?

Mahomes rolled his ankle in the third quarter of Monday's game against the Buccaneers. The injury initially popped up when he was rolled up on in Week 8 against the Raiders, but the quarterback didn't miss time. He later aggravated the issue on a brutal weather day in Kansas City when he struggled to get up after a touchdown toss to Samaje Perine.

Despite the awkward landing and initial scare, Mahomes didn't miss a play.

Patrick Mahomes stats

By Mahomes' standards, 2024 has represented a regression from previous years. His team might be undefeated through eight games, but the quarterback is on pace for a career-low in touchdown passes and a career-high in interceptions.

However, there is at least some reason to believe that he will improve on the 11-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Week 9 marked the first time in the 2024 season that Mahomes threw more than two touchdowns and didn't throw an interception.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes injury update: Chiefs QB 'eager' to test injured ankle