KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. Share your story idea with Tod.
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With the Chiefs driving to try and extend their season, Patrick Mahomes emerged from the blue sideline medical tent with a towel on his head.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback gingerly took a stride or two on his own before medical staff arrived to flank him on either side.
Mahomes lifted his arms onto their shoulders and slowly made his way toward the stairs behind Kansas City’s sideline.
"It didn't look good," Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters after the game.
Reid said Mahomes injured his left knee and would undergo an MRI as soon as Sunday night. There was no further prognosis, but — with Kansas City eliminated from the playoffs — it's a safe bet that Mahomes' season is over, no matter the extent of the injury.
At this point, the only lingering question is whether the injury will linger into next season.
An emotional Travis Kelce, one of Mahomes' best friends on the team, wore sunglasses as he exited the Chiefs' locker room: "Sorry, guys. It's not the time. I'll catch you guys during the week."
As Mahomes walked toward the Chiefs’ locker room, presumably to get X-rays on an injured left leg, his replacement, Garnder Minshew, underthrew a pass intended for Kelce.
Derwin James picked off Minshew's throw, sealing a 16-13 win that ends any hope for Kansas City to make the playoffs.
Mahomes got hurt on the first snap after the two-minute warning.
He scrambled toward the Chiefs’ sideline, scanning downfield before throwing the ball away as Da’Shawn Hand arrived and dove toward Mahomes.
Hand, a 6-foot-3 and 300-pound defensive tackle, landed on Mahomes’ leg, which bent awkwardly underneath him.
Mahomes immediately rolled over and pulled his leg toward his chest before medical staff rushed to his side.
He finished the game 16 of 28 for 189 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, though Mahomes did run for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
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