FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Patrick Mahomes injured his throwing hand in the team's 23-16 win over the Patriots Sunday, but the Chiefs quarterback remained in the contest despite the pain.
“It doesn't feel great right now,” Mahomes said. “It's something that you play with. In this sport you're going to get hurt, you're going to bang something, and so for me it's about going out there and competing and relying on my teammates to help me out whenever I'm not feeling maybe 100 percent.”
The injury occurred on the first play of the team's second offensive drive in the first quarter. Mahomes attempted to scramble out of the pocket before dumping off a pass at the feet of running back LeSean McCoy. Patriots linebacker John Simon brought Mahomes to the ground as he released the ball, and the quarterback landed awkwardly on his right hand.
“I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know for sure,” said Mahomes, who could been see holding and shaking his hand much of the game. “Then I tried to fire the next pass and it didn't look too pretty, so I kind of just let the trainers look at it.”
After leading the Chiefs on nine-play, 53-yard drive culminating in a 48-yard field by Harrison Butker, Mahomes went to the sidelines for an evaluation. After a few warmup throws on the sideline, athletic trainers cleared Mahomes to return to the game.
Head coach Andy Reid knew something wasn't right with his quarterback.
“He kept messing with that hand,” Reid said. “I could tell he wasn't gripping all that well. But he never says anything. He doesn't make a big stink out of anything.”
Mahomes said the injury limited his effectiveness, but the numbers didn't show a significant decline. He finished the contest 26-of-40 passing for 283 yards and a touchdown. His lone interception came on the drive before the injury.
“(The trainers) gave me the good-to-go,” Mahomes said, “and so I went out there, battled, figured out ways to throw the ball across the middle and maybe not shoot those long shots that I usually throw but enough to get them back and still score touchdowns.”
Mahomes underwent an X-ray at Gillette Stadium following the game, and will undergo more examinations back in Kansas City on Monday, Reid said.
“We think it's OK, but we'll see how it goes,” Reid said.
Outside of Mahomes, the Chiefs emerged from the game relatively injury free. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and left guard Andrew Wylie both exited the game on the same second quarter drive, both returned to the contest.
Schwartz underwent a concussion evaluation in the medical tent on the sideline and was quickly cleared to return to game. Wylie returned in the second half.
