The injury to the left finger of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered against the Cleveland Browns in last week’s division round has been identified – was diagnosed as a “turf toe”, wrote Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Sunday morning.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was diagnosed with a toe turf, sources say, an injury that affected his preparation for the AFC Championship Game more than his time in the concussion protocol.
My story: https://t.co/gbEI5RAFPf
– Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 24, 2021
In an article posted on NFL.com, Rapoport hinted that Mahomes’ toe was actually a bigger problem than a possible concussion that preceded the AFC title game on Sunday. Rapoport noted that the Chiefs’ head coach, Andy Reid, consistently said that the quarterback was “within protocol”, rather than saying that he suffered a “concussion”, which was intentional.
Mahomes still took most of the regular photos – as Reid noted a few times during the week – but the practice regiment looked more like a series of tutorials, by Rapoport.
Chiefs will consider the off-season surgery.
RAPOPORT: As of now, there is not necessarily a belief that Mahomes will need surgery on the plantar plate injury. However, a source said he will be reassessed after the season by a foot specialist to determine whether he will need surgery.
It usually takes two to three weeks for the pain to subside in the peat toe, but Mahomes said his toe was improving on Friday.
“You are feeling much better,” he said. “I mean – the next day I was very sore, and every day since then, it has gotten much better. It’s something you deal with as a football player, you deal with injuries and, fortunately for me, it wasn’t as bad as it looked and felt the next day and the next day. “
Mahomes initially seemed hampered by the toe problem in the second quarter of the Browns’ game last week, but he was playing better in the third quarter before having to leave the game when he entered the concussion protocol.
The Chiefs play the Bills for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl LV at 17:40, arrow time. The Bills didn’t attack the Chiefs much in the Week 6 game, but due to Mahomes’ possible mobility problems from the injury, their defensive plan on Sunday may look very different.