KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Patrick Mahomes didn’t play Saturday as the Chiefs’ preseason continued in Tampa Bay, but he made clear during a third-quarter interview that it wasn’t his choice to sit.
“I really wanted to play today, but they would not let me,” Mahomes said with his trademark grin while speaking with former Chiefs star quarterback Trent Green on the KSHB 41 broadcast.
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during a Dec. 14 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. He underwent surgery within days and has worked feverishly to rebuild the knee.
“I feel great,” Mahomes said. “I’m getting more and more athletic every single time I’m on the football field, and that’s all you can ask for. ... It’s been good to go through training camp and get that full training-camp experience and so I feel great.”
Kansas City has one preseason game remaining Friday against Seattle at Arrowhead Stadium, and Mahomes said he wants to play in that one, too.
“I’m always trying to play,” he said. “If he’d (Chiefs coach Andy Reid) put me in the game in this fourth quarter, I’d play right then.”
Mahomes has been ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation throughout the offseason. A typical timeline for recovery from the injury and procedure he underwent is 9 to 12 months, but it’s not unprecedented for an elite athlete to shorten that window.
Still, the Chiefs would be wise not to take unnecessary risks with the face of the franchise, a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP.
“At the end of the day it’s up to Coach Reid and I have to trust that he’s going to do right by me,” Mahomes said. “Like I said, I prepared like I was going to play this game. Obviously, I didn’t get to play, but I’ll prepare next week. We’ll see if I get to play then. If not, I’m going to be ready to go for that first game of the year, god willing.”
Kansas City opens the regular season with a Monday Night Football showdown against reigning AFC West champion Denver on Sept. 14 — and Mahomes has no doubt he’ll play.
“I’m extremely confident,” Mahomes said. “At the end of the day, all I can do is get better and better each day. I’ve got to keep taking that step and keep taking that step over and over again. But as long as there’s no setbacks, I think I’m going to have the best possible chance to play out there — as long as the doctors say yes and Coach Reid says yes — but we’re trending that direction.”
Mahomes has played with a brace through most of camp, but it hasn’t appeared to hinder him, either a passer or occasionally scrambling.
Apparently, the knee doesn’t hinder him at home either.
“That is the ultimate rehab is chasing those kids around,” Mahomes said.
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