Is Patrick Mahomes going to play this week vs. Bengals? Latest injury update on the Chiefs QB

The Kansas City Chiefs will be sweating on the fitness of Patrick Mahomes ahead of their AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain on his right leg in the divisional-round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

He was withdrawn from the game and was replaced temporarily by backup quarterback Chad Henne. Although Mahomes is currently listed as questionable on the Kansas City roster, he is expected to start in the crunch AFC title matchup against the Bengals this weekend.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said:

“As far as injuries go, really, Patrick (Mahomes) is the main one. As you guys know he hurt his ankle. It’s been reported that it’s a high ankle sprain. So, that’s pretty accurate.”

Reid was rather indirect with his comments on whether Mahomes would start. However, the 64-year-old explained that he would have to see how his star quarterback feels in the practice session building up to the game.

"We don’t have to do much either way. As far as the reps, I have to see how he (Mahomes) feels, you know when we get ready for practice there."

Expand Tweet

It's clear that the Chiefs are a much better team with Mahomes as their starting quarterback. The 27-year-old is crucial to the team's success, but if he is ruled out for the Championship game, Henne is expected to start for Kansas City.

How has Patrick Mahomes fared this season?

Patrick Mahomes is having another stellar season with the Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowler threw for 5,250 yards on 435 passes during the regular season and racked up 41 touchdowns.

He also added 358 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The 26-year-old led Kansas City to the best record in the AFC, which gave them a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Mahomes continued his excellent run in the postseason when he threw for 195 yards on 22 passes and two touchdowns against the Jaguars. However, it remains to be seen whether he will feature in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals.