Patrick Mahomes did dislocate his kneecap during Thursday night's win over the Denver Broncos, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and James Palmer have reported. That is what was discovered after the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback underwent an MRI on Friday. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the MRI turned out to be a "best case scenario" for the Chiefs.
Rapoport added that Mahomes did not suffer "significant additional damage" after sustaining the injury on a quarterback sneak during the first half of Thursday night's game. Rapoport, who earlier in the day reported that Mahomes would likely miss "at least three weeks" with his knee injury, said Mahomes will seek additional opinions on his injury. The current plan, according to Rapoport, is for Mahomes to return this season "after a brief absence."
Prior to the MRI, licensed orthopedic knee surgeon Dr. Rodney Benner said the timetable for Mahomes' return would likely be around 4-6 weeks if the patella came back to a perfectly centered position.
The injury appeared to be much more significant after Mahomes laid on the ground in obvious pain after successfully executing a quarterback sneak during the first half. Optimism quickly rose, however, after Mahomes was able to walk off the field with assistance from the Chiefs' medical staff. He was also able to exit the field under his own power.
Patrick Mahomes suffered an ugly injury, so what happens now for the Chiefs and the QB? Ryan Wilson, John Breech and Sean Wagner-McGough joined Will Brinson to break everything down. Listen in the player below, and be sure to subscribe here for daily NFL goodness.
The reigning league MVP entered Thursday night's game with a nagging ankle injury that initially surfaced back in Week 1 and was aggravated during Kansas City's Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The injury clearly limited his effectiveness during the Chiefs' previous two games, as Mahomes failed to complete 60 percent of his passes in losses to the Colts and Houston Texans.
Kansas City's next three games include home games against the 5-1 Green Bay Packers and the 4-2 Minnesota Vikings before facing the 2-4 Tennessee Titans on the road. The Chiefs will host the Los Angeles Chargers on "Monday Night Football" in Week 11 before heading out for their Week 12 bye.
Matt Moore, a 13-year veteran who has 30 career NFL regular-season starts under his belt, will start under center until Mahomes can return to the field. Moore, who went 2-1 as a starter in 2016 while helping the Miami Dolphins capture a wild-card playoff spot, went 10 of 19 for 117 yards with a touchdown in Thursday night's win.
The Chiefs, at 5-2, currently have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Oakland Raiders for first place in the AFC West.
