Patrick Mahomes

Injury Updates: Green, Mahomes, Newton

October 20th, 2019 at 9:23am CST by Rory Parks

It doesn’t look like A.J. Green is going anywhere. Despite Bengals head coach Zac Taylor insisting that the team would not trade its injured star prior to the October 29 deadline, there was still plenty of speculation that Cincinnati would make a deal if it got the right offer. But Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Green, who returned to practice on a limited basis earlier this month, will not be ready to play until after the deadline.

Green is progressing nicely in his return, per Schefter, but the Bengals want to ensure a complete recovery before bringing him back, which makes it sound as though they have every intention of re-signing him this offseason (and, as Ben Baby of ESPN.com tweets, it’s an interesting contrast to the dispute between Cincinnati and Cordy Glenn). So if your team is looking for a WR upgrade, you can probably go ahead and scratch Green off your wish list.

Now for two more high-profile injury updates:

Ian Rapoport of NFLcom (video link) has positive news on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Per RapSheet, surgery (even in the offseason) has not been discussed, which contradicts a report from several days ago. Rapoport says Mahomes will miss at least the next three games, which means he will be sidelined for matchups against the Packers, Vikings, and Titans. Then, Kansas City travels to Mexico City for a game against the Chargers, and as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report observes, the field surface at Estadio Azteca could be questionable (Twitter link). The Chiefs have a bye after their sojourn across the border, so, in keeping with the earlier reports, it seems like a Week 13 return against the Raiders is the safest bet. Schefter says Mahomes could be back even sooner than the three-week minimum that Rapoport detailed, though that would seem like a very risk move on the Chiefs’ part. Luckily, Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star tweets that Mahomes’ visit for a second opinion went well, though Teope does not offer a timeline for the star QB’s return.
The Panthers are perfectly content for Cam Newton to take as much time as necessary to recover from his foot injury given that the club is 4-0 under backup Kyle Allen. Carolina is on a bye this week, and Newton is expected to return to the practice field in the coming days, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the team has not yet begun to discuss the QB situation, even privately. That means that, as long as Allen keeps performing, he may keep playing, which is consistent with reports from last week. In any event, the Panthers will not address the issue until Newton is back to 100%.

AFC West Notes: Mahomes, Broncos, Raiders

October 18th, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Mahomes‘ MRI did not slam the door on the Chiefs quarterback returning this season, but the parties are still gathering information. Mahomes will seek a second opinion on the dislocated kneecap he suffered, Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com tweets. A Mahomes return this season may be a dicey process, however. This injury carries a significant risk of re-dislocation, former Chargers team physician David Chao writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Mahomes will likely need surgery after the season, should he decide to put it off until then, putting him out for most of Kansas City’s 2020 offseason program. But for now, a potential return — likely after K.C.’s Week 12 bye, though Albert Breer of SI.com tweets a return before then is not out of the question — is on the table.

Here’s the latest from the Mahomes front, along with more from the West divisions:

Chad Henne‘s preseason ankle surgery, which prompted the Chiefs to place him on IR and sign Matt Moore, was not a season-ending operation. Henne is a few weeks away from being ready to return, per Paylor. With Henne having been with the Chiefs for two seasons now, this would seemingly be a superior option to Moore. The 35-year-old ex-Dolphin was working as a Dolphins scout earlier this year after spending 2018 out of football. Moore was helping the Dolphins’ scouting department and serving as an assistant coach at his former high school, William S. Hart High in California, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com notes. Henne becomes eligible to return from IR in Week 9.
While the Chiefs lost the highest-profile player in Thursday’s game, the Broncos lost another defensive starter. Safety Will Parks left Thursday’s game with a thumb injury, and Mike Klis of 9News notes the fourth-year defender has already undergone surgery. Parks is expected to miss at least two games. The 2-5 team is now down Parks, Bradley Chubb and Bryce Callahan on defense.
In addition to three IR-stationed Broncos set to return to practice next week, Jake Butt will do so as well, per Klis. The injury-prone tight end saw another knee malady sideline him during preseason play. The Broncos stashed him on IR but have not ruled out redeploying him. However, with Drew Lock seeming certain to be brought back from IR, the team can only summon one of the Butt-Theo Riddick–Tim Patrick trio.
Tyrell Williams will miss his second straight game. The Raiders‘ No. 1 wide receiver is out for Week 7. The Raiders are largely down to rookies (Hunter Renfrow, Keelan Doss) and in-season trade acquisitions (Zay Jones, ex-Packer Trevor Davis) in Green Bay.

Latest On Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes

October 18th, 2019 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will miss at least three weeks following Thursday night’s knee injury, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Mahomes will know more about his situation soon, when doctors have a closer look.

Mahomes suffered a dislocated kneecap, but no additional severe damage, Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hear. With that in mind, it’s possible that he’ll miss only a handful of games.

Three weeks would be the best case scenario for the superstar. The worst case scenario is something that Mahomes doesn’t even want to think about. For what it’s worth, Mahomes is keeping things positive on Twitter:

“Awesome team win! Love my brothers! Thank you for all the prayers! Everything looking good so far! #GodisGood #ChiefsKingdom”

Even after Mahomes’ exit, the Chiefs managed to hang on and win 30-6 over the Broncos. They’re now 5-2 as they look ahead to the Packers on Nov. 27. For now, Matt Moore is slated to start that game under center.

If Mahomes misses three games, the Chiefs will only have to hang tight for contests against the Packers, Vikings, and Titans. After that, they have their Week 12 bye.

Patrick Mahomes Suffers Knee Injury

October 17th, 2019 at 9:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, already battling an ankle issue, left Thursday night’s contest against the Broncos after suffering a knee injury on a quarterback sneak. Kansas City ruled Mahomes out for the rest of tonight’s game but provided no further update on his status.

Mahomes suffered a patella (kneecap) dislocation, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. While the star signal-caller didn’t suffer a break, Mahomes will need to wait for the results of an MRI to reveal if he damaged any ligaments, per Palmer.

The defending league MVP, Mahomes is arguably the brightest spot in today’s NFL, and losing him for any period of time would be a blow for the league as a whole. The Chiefs, who hold a half-game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West, have turned to backup Matt Moore to hold down the fort in Mahomes’ absence.

Mahomes, 24, wowed during his first season as Kansas City’s starter, leading the league in touchdown passes, adjusted yards per attempt, and ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating. Heading into Week 7, Mahomes was first among all NFL passers with 2,104 yards through the air, and while regression and his aforementioned ankle injury had put a damper on some of his production, he’d still posted 14 touchdown passes against only one interception.

If Mahomes is forced to miss time, the Chiefs would need to lean on rushing attack lead by Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy, a duo that’s played a part in Kansas City ranking just 20th in Football Outsiders’ rushing DVOA. The Chiefs’ defense, which has performed decently against the pass but is sieve against the run, would also need to step up if Mahomes is sidelined.

Injury Updates: Mixon, Mayfield, Mahomes

September 8th, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Week 1 of the NFL season unfortunately saw a bunch of big names go down. Nick Foles is out indefinitely after breaking his clavicle, and Tyreek Hill will miss a few games with a shoulder issue. They weren’t the only ones to suffer potentially significant injuries, and we’ve got all the latest updates down below:

The 49ers already suffered a blow to their deep backfield when they placed Jerick McKinnon on IR prior to the start of the season, and now they’re down another member of the group. Tevin Coleman was knocked out of their Week 1 game against the Bucs by an ankle injury, and he left the locker room with a boot on his foot, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports (Twitter link). Maiocco notes he’ll have an MRI on Monday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game he was “concerned” about Coleman’s ankle, Matt Barrows of the Athletic tweeted. Shanahan also implied the team will promote Jeff Wilson Jr. from the practice squad, and said the team will look at adding outside running back help. Matt Breida figures to take on a more prominent role in the meantime while Coleman is sidelined.
Speaking of running backs with ankle injuries, Joe Mixon suffered one of his own. The Bengals’ runner is “believed to have just an ankle sprain,” according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who tweets that “early reports [are] optimistic.” It’s unclear how sever the ankle sprain is, although fortunately it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a longterm absence for the Oklahoma product.
Baker Mayfield had a rough game in his highly anticipated 2019 debut. He threw three interceptions, and to make matters worse also hurt his hand. Mayfield had his wrist and hand wrapped and went for an X-Ray after the Browns’ to the Titans, sparking some concern. Fortunately he suffered only a bruise and the injury is “not considered serious,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Fans were also left holding their breath when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went limping off the field. Mahomes returned to Kansas City’s win over the Jaguars, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after the game Mahomes had a sprained ankle, according to Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound like Mahomes will miss any games, although his mobility may be limited moving forward.
The Falcons got blown out by the Vikings, and they also lost a key piece. The team fears that rookie first-round pick Chris Lindstrom fractured his foot, according to Jay Glazer of The Athletic (Twitter link). Lindstrom won the competition to start at right guard, and the organization thinks very highly of the 14th overall pick. Lindstrom’s rookie year could be over, as former NFL team doctor David Chao tweets the type of fracture “will determine if part of the season can be salvaged.” Even if he does make it back, it won’t be for a while.

West Rumors: Chiefs, Brown, Bolts, Rams

August 18th, 2019 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andy Reid has worked with an MVP before (Brett Favre) and coached Pro Bowlers in Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and Alex Smith. But Chiefs GM Brett Veach makes the case the seventh-year Kansas City HC has never had the kind possibilities for creativity, without limitations, that Patrick Mahomes provides.

“I think Andy understands that the talent he has in this kid is like nothing he’s ever had before,” Veach said, via Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star. “Not to say he didn’t have good quarterbacks before, not to say he didn’t have a great rapport or relationship with them, but I think Andy’s creativity is not restricted now in any way, not by mental, not by arm strength, not by mobility. Because sometimes you get super-smart guys, and maybe they don’t have this … or you get guys that don’t have this, but they have that.”

Over the course of Reid’s Chiefs tenure, he has steadily incorporated college concepts into his offense. He helped coax the best season of Smith’s career in 2017, but Mahomes’ runaway MVP season obviously established a new bar for the Reid offense’s modern capabilities. In Pryor’s expansive article detailing the relationship between Reid and Mahomes, Veach adds the 21st-year HC not having to scrap any of his play designs separates his partnership with Mahomes.

Here is the latest out of the West divisions, continuing first with (a given) the Antonio Brown saga:

Brown is about out of options, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter) Mike Mayock‘s comments Sunday set the stage for potential Raiders discipline if the mercurial receiver does not practice soon. Another Brown option: a lawsuit that would allow him an injunction, thus enabling him for a time to wear his old helmet while the case plays out. That would be a rather extreme response, especially coming after a report indicating Brown was unlikely to appeal the arbitrator’s decision. But that was before NFL- and NFLPA-backed testing struck down Brown’s 2011 Schutt AiR Advantage helmet solution bid failed. Brown could still appeal, but it does not seem probable he would prevail. The Raiders’ dress-rehearsal game is Thursday; it is quite possible, if not likely, Brown will not play in the preseason.
Derwin James‘ absence will test the Chargers, but it makes their March re-signing of Adrian Phillips all the more important. The sixth-year safety/All-Pro special-teamer made a big difference playing as a hybrid linebacker in the Chargers’ Round 1 win over the Ravens, and Eric Williams of ESPN.com notes he will receive first crack at replacing James. Phillips (94 tackles in 2018 before a two-turnover wild-card performance) started Sunday’s preseason game against the Saints.
The contract-year statuses of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters may force the Rams to consider the big picture when finalizing their roster. Les Snead could well keep an extra corner this season because of the potential 2020 departures of the team’s starting corners, Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic writes (subscription required). In addition to Talib and Peters, slot starter Nickell Robey-Coleman, Troy Hill and third-round pick David Long will be roster locks. That leaves one or two spots left for a host of players who have shown well in camp, with Bonsignore singling out 2018 waiver claim Darious Williams and 2017 UDFA Kevin Peterson as the leaders to round out the corner corps. The latter missed all of 2018 due to injury, but both players have had standout camps. In addition to the Colts, Patriots and Saints, the Rams may begin receiving trade calls on some corners.

Chiefs Plan To Extend Patrick Mahomes After 2019; Mahomes Could Earn $200MM+

January 20th, 2019 at 11:28am CST by Rory Parks

The Chiefs are expected to pursue extensions for a few key members of their roster this offseason, and it makes sense for the club to get those commitments out of the way, because it will have a particularly big order of business to take care of after the 2019 season. At that point, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be eligible for a long-term extension of his own, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Kansas City is expected to work out a second contract with him before the 2020 campaign.

That contract, per Schefter’s sources, could be the league’s first $200MM deal. If that’s the case, Mahomes would dwarf Matt Ryan‘s recent extension with the Falcons, which has a total value of $150MM, and Schefter suggests that Mahomes’ new pact would include an average annual value that far eclipses Aaron Rodgers‘ $33.5MM mark.

Mahomes is also expected to become much more visible this offseason, according to his agent, Leigh Steinberg. Mahomes will likely be named the league’s MVP this season, but Steinberg has instructed Mahomes to keep a low public profile to this point. Now that his client has taken the football world by storm, Steinberg says that Mahomes is in line for multiple marketing deals and television commercials.

Speculatively, Kansas City could attempt to frontload expected extensions for players like Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones to create more flexibility when Mahomes cashes in. Mahomes, just 23, passed for 5,097 yards and a league-leading 50 touchdowns in 2018, and he will lead the Chiefs against the Patriots in a much-anticipated AFC title game this afternoon.

A Super Bowl appearance or two will only increase Mahomes’ otherworldly asking price.

Extra Points: Mahomes, Chiefs, Chargers, Bosa, Lions, Snead, NFL Draft

September 23rd, 2018 at 6:19pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Patrick Mahomes is the talk of the NFL. He’s led the Chiefs to a 3-0 record and has been nearly flawless, tossing 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Now, more details are coming out about how Mahomes landed in Kansas City, and Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports has an insightful piece about the Chiefs’ process.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach, at the time the team’s assistant GM, reportedly became infatuated with Mahomes in the months leading up to the draft. As a scout with the Eagles, he had banged the table for Andy Reid to draft Fletcher Cox, DeSean Jackon, and LeSean McCoy, so Reid trusted his judgment. Veach hounded Reid for months about his love for Mahomes and eventually won the coach over. The whole story is well worth a read and is full of interesting nuggets. It sounds like the Chiefs have the right leadership in place to be a force in the league for years to come.

Here’s more from around the league:

Chargers star pass-rusher Joey Bosa will get the cast taken off his foot later today according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). While it’s a positive development for Los Angeles, Schefter cautions he still isn’t expected back until “sometime next month.”
Earlier this week the Lions re-signed veteran cornerback DeShawn Snead, and now the details are in. The contract is for just the veteran’s minimum, but will cost the Lions $2.3MM this season due to the dead money that came from cutting him the first time according to Chris Burke of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Virginia Tech has dismissed defensive lineman Trevon Hill from the team, an item of note for NFL draftniks. It’s “major draft news” according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com (Twitter link), who writes that Hill was “one of the better edge rushing prospects in the nation.”

Chiefs Rumors: Mahomes, Rogers, Ford, OL

July 23rd, 2018 at 6:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Being a first-year starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes will bring some risk to the Chiefs‘ outlook Alex Smith did not. But the potential reward looks to be much greater. Andy Reid acknowledges the 2017 first-round pick will experience the usual issues adjusting to NFL starter life, but the sixth-year Chiefs coach made it clear he doesn’t want to deprive Mahomes of playmaking opportunities his skill set could create.

“You surely don’t want to stifle that at all. One thing that he is blessed with is he has good vision, so you don’t ever want to stifle that and put him in a box with that. Allow him to see,” Reid said from Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. “Is there going to be a hiccup here or there? Yeah there’s going to be a hiccup here or there, but you don’t want to stifle that at all.”

Reid added that Mahomes, viewed as a raw but potentially special arm talent out of Texas Tech as a prospect last year, is farther along this year compared to where Smith was in 2013. With the addition of Sammy Watkins, the Chiefs have also outfitted Mahomes with a better collection of skill-position talent than Smith (or possibly any previous Kansas City quarterback) received.

Here’s the latest out of western Missouri:

While the Chiefs’ offense looks capable of being one of the NFL’s best units, Kansas City’s defense has plenty of questions. A key one will be the status of their injury-prone edge rushers. Justin Houston enters camp healthy and is signed long-term, but Dee Ford may only be back because an injury left him unable to pass a March physical. His $8.718MM fifth-year option vested, but Ford realizes he’s under pressure to perform this season after a career that’s seen just one productive year (2016, when he had a Chiefs-most 10 sacks). The Chiefs also drafted edge defenders in each of the past two second rounds, in Tanoh Kpassagnon and Breeland Speaks (the latter of whom K.C. traded up to acquire). “Everyone’s seen flashes of what I can do. This is the opportunity to really (show it) for 16 games,” Ford said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “In order to be a great player you have to be consistent. You can’t just be good (like 2016 in) those first 10 games or so before I got hurt. Everybody was like, ‘That’s the guy we expected,’ and then I got hurt. … This is the time to put it all together.”
Eli Rogers left his Chiefs visit Monday without a deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Rogers will now meet with the Browns, who have his three-year OC on staff in Todd Haley. The Raiders have also scheduled a summit with the slot receiver. Behind Watkins and Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs employ Chris Conley, Demarcus Robinson, Jehu Chesson and the recently re-signed De’Anthony Thomas.
Despite a 2016 ACL tear hijacking both of Parker Ehinger‘s first two NFL seasons, he still might be the frontrunner to work as the Chiefs’ starting left guard, Nate Taylor of The Athletic writes (subscription required). A fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati two years ago, Ehinger opened his rookie year as a starter but missed all but one game last season. Bryan Witzmann and Jordan Devey represent his primary competitors, per Taylor, who adds that Cameron Erving could linger here as well if he cannot unseat fourth-year center Mitch Morse.
Like Ford, Spencer Ware‘s been cleared to begin training camp without a PUP list stay, but the 2016 starter won’t automatically be given the backup job, per Taylor. Charcandrick West remains a factor and scored four touchdowns as Kareem Hunt‘s backup last season. West and Ware will battle for the backup role, just as they did in 2015 when they vied for time behind a then-healthy Jamaal Charles.

AFC Notes: Dolphins, Mahomes, Penn

June 2nd, 2018 at 12:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have a number of running backs who could realistically earn the starting gig this season. Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore are the obvious frontrunners, and the organization is also expecting rookie Kalen Ballage to contribute at some point during the upcoming campaign.

With several options to choose from, running backs coach Eric Studesville made it sound like the Dolphins won’t necessarily opt for a two-headed (or even three-headed) monster.

“The guy that gives us the best chance to win, that gives the Miami Dolphins the best chance to win,” Studesville told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, “that’s who’s got to be the guy who’s out there for us and helping us win football games.

“We’ve got to get everybody up to speed to where they all know it, we’re all confident in our assignments and then let them go play. And they’re going to sort out what those roles are as we go. I don’t think we have that set right now. We just have to wait and see how it goes.”

As the Dolphins sort out their running back depth, let’s check out some more notes out of the AFC…

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a number of endorsement offers during his rookie campaign. However, the quarterback ended up turning down those deals, as he was more focused on gaining the respect of his teammates (instead of cashing every possible check). “We talked about how the first year the goal was to integrate into the team, and the only way to do that is to pay deference to the incumbent veterans and try not to go into the situation with a high profile,” his agent, Leigh Steinberg, told ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “We intentionally didn’t do endorsements that would run in the Kansas City area even though they were offered. We didn’t want him to be on billboards and everything when he wasn’t even playing.” While it sounds like plenty of local businesses want to capitalize on Mahomes’ fame, the signal-caller will surely be eyeing some national gigs if his development goes as planned.
During this past year’s draft, the Raiders used the 15th-overall pick to select left tackle Kolton Miller. That selection didn’t sit well with incumbent left tackle Donald Penn. “I’m not going to lie, as soon as I saw the draft pick, I called [coach Jon] Gruden immediately,” Penn said during as appearance on Michael Rapoport’s podcast (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “He didn’t answer, but when I saw him the next Monday, he was joking with me saying, ‘You were ready to kick my a**, huh, Donald?! You were mad.” The 35-year-old, who has spent the past four years with the team, is still expected to start for the Raiders in 2018.
In case you missed it, the Dolphins made a pair of moves yesterday. The team signed first-round defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick to his rookie contract, and they signed cornerback Bobby McCain to an extension later that afternoon.

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