NFL Trade Rumors: Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes' Week 16 Status in Doubt

The Kansas City Chiefs' 2024 season is at a turning point. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain during Sunday's 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns and is at risk of missing Week 16's matchup with the Houston Texans.

From @GMFB: #Lions RB David Montgomery is out for the season, but positive outlooks for #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and #Steelers edge TJ Watt. pic.twitter.com/qmOYrU14BD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 17, 2024

Mahomes limped off the field midway through the fourth quarter in Cleveland, having been sandwiched between defenders on an incomplete pass. Carson Wentz replaced him on the ensuing drives, completing both his passes for 20 yards.

Typically, a high-ankle sprain carries a recovery timeline of four to six weeks, but Mahomes has shown an ability to play through the injury before. During the 2022 postseason, he exited a Divisional Round matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars after being rolled up on and was eventually available for the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He also missed two regular season games after injuring his ankle on a quarterback sneak in 2019.

Even if Mahomes misses minimal time, his injury is highly unfortunate timing for the Chiefs. They play the Houston Texans on Saturday before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers only four days later on Christmas day. Both games are against division leaders and could severely impact the AFC standings.

The Chiefs have some complicated calculus ahead of them. They currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the Buffalo Bills for the AFC's top seed, but the Bills' remaining opponents sport a combined 10-32 record. Realistically, the Chiefs can't afford two losses if they want to hold onto the all-important Wildcard round bye, but they also can't risk further injury to their biggest star. If the Chiefs are going to win a third straight Super Bowl, they'll have to navigate the next few weeks very, very carefully.