The Kansas City Chiefs exhaled this week as quarterback Patrick Mahomes moved from an alarming elbow scare to full participation in practice ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The two-time MVP took a hard hit from Jets edge rusher David Bailey late in the first half of last Sunday’s 35-12 victory, his throwing arm bending awkwardly on a strip-sack that forced him off the field clutching the elbow in clear discomfort.
For a moment, the play threatened to derail a season that had opened 5-0 before a pair of losses.
Mahomes never missed a snap. After trainers worked on the arm at halftime he returned, completed 23 of 31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, and helped Kansas City snap its brief skid.
He later acknowledged that his throws lacked their usual zip early in the second half before the arm loosened and his accuracy improved.
Team doctors ordered an MRI once media duties ended; the scan showed no significant structural damage, only a strain or sprain that would be watched for swelling and pain.
Head coach Andy Reid described the situation Monday as day-to-day and “more positive than negative,” noting that the focus would simply be reducing soreness through treatment.
Mahomes himself sounded optimistic by Wednesday, saying the elbow felt better than it had immediately after the game and that an early kickoff had given the medical staff extra time to work.
That same afternoon the Chiefs listed him as a full participant in practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the designation, which placed Mahomes firmly on track to start under center in Atlanta.
The timing coincides with the debut of newly acquired wide receiver Josh Downs.
Kansas City sent a fourth-round pick and a fifth-rounder to the Colts for Downs and a seventh-round selection before the trade deadline, addressing a receiver group that has been thin since training camp.
Mahomes will have the chance to connect with the former Indianapolis target right away.
Separately, Xavier Worthy, who strained a hamstring in the fourth quarter against the Jets, also practiced fully on Wednesday and was described by Reid as “feeling pretty good,” further stabilizing the skill positions for the Week 10 trip.
With the MRI already clear and Mahomes handling full reps, the Chiefs appear set to field their star quarterback against a Falcons team sitting at 3-6.
The remaining work is simply pain management between now and kickoff.
