KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a bruised right hand in Sunday's victory over the New England Patriots, but head coach Andy Reid says he expects his superstar to play next weekend against the Denver Broncos.
“Right now I'd tell you most likely yes, but let's see how he does here in the next couple of days,” Reid said Monday. The quarterback suffered a bruise, but X-rays did not show a fracture.
“Patrick's hand, it's OK,” Reid said. “Bruised up pretty good, but there's no break in it, I know that.”
The injury occurred on the first play of the team's second offensive drive against the Patriots. 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.
Reid said the injury limited what Mahomes could do with the football, especially in the second half.
“He was having a little tougher time gripping the ball, so we went a little bit more of the shallow cross game, you saw that, shorter throws,” Reid said. “Ran the ball a little bit more probably.”
This isn't the first time the Chiefs have altered their game plan around injuries affecting Mahomes. The quarterback suffered a sprained ankle in Week 1 that limited his mobility early in the season, then a dislocated knee cap suffered in Week 7 kept him out of the starting lineup for two weeks.
Reid says Mahomes possesses an uncanny ability to shape his game around any physical limitations he experiences while continuing to lead the team.
“It's not just one thing,” Reid said. “It's not that you have to throw the ball 50 yards down the field, but you lead the guys around you to be better than what they are, and he has the innate ability to do that. He keeps everybody involved, both sides of the ball, special teams, he's all in, all the time.
“That's a real positive about him, a positive attribute that he has.”
