Concerning Patrick Mahomes Update Emerges Ahead of AFC Championship

Kansas City Chiefs fans breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would start against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game. It's not all good news, though, as the All-Pro talent will not be fully healthy on the field due to his high-ankle sprain.

From @NFLGameDay: #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' ankle looked good this week, but there is true uncertainty about how it'll respond during the game. Plus, his OC Eric Bieniemy could be on the move as a play-calling OC. pic.twitter.com/kP8KHVLMSh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 29, 2023

Patrick Mahomes Injury Update

NFL insider Ian Rapoport explains that no one on the coaching staff knows how Mahomes' ankle is going to react to in-game situations. Of course, quarterbacks get pressured in the pocket throughout the game and often take on a few hits. That's especially true for a QB capable of running the football.

Mahomes was able to practice in full this past week thanks to the fact that the swelling was not as bad as expected and his "bendy" ligaments are not built like those of other athletes. However, he did not participate in sprints and he has taken on zero contact since facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Texas Tech product has acknowledged that he could be impacted a bit on Sunday, saying "you hope adrenaline kind of takes over and you can make those throws when you need to." Mahomes is known for having a stellar deep ball, but throwing a deep ball puts a ton of weight on the ankles.

When it comes down to it, there's no denying that a hobbled Mahomes is better than no Mahomes at all. The Chiefs have a shot to earn their third Super Bowl appearance in the last four years and are listed as 2.5-point home favorites against the Bengals, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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