 | CONNELL GRANGE SUPPLY WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS STILL THE COMPANY |
|
Printable Page
09/02 12:53 CDT Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes appears on track to start Week 1
against the Denver Broncos
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes appears on track to start Week 1 against the Denver
Broncos
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --- Patrick Mahomes appears on track to start for the
Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
The two-time MVP has stated ever since he underwent surgery in December to
repair torn ligaments in his left knee that his goal was to be on the field
when the season begins.
And while doctors initially cautioned Mahomes that it could be October before
he was ready to play, the quarterback surged past all expectations in his
rehab, working with the first team throughout training camp.
Mahomes did not play in any preseason games. But that was always by design.
"He's going to keep practicing just like he's been doing," Chiefs coach Andy
Reid said Wednesday, after their first practice following roster cuts. "These
are more like practice here, a lot of one-versus-one play these next couple of
days. That's a good thing."
The Chiefs will practice again Thursday before a long weekend, then resume work
Monday. After that, they'll be into their game-week schedule, pointed toward a
Monday night showdown between two of the favorites to win the AFC West this
season.
One question looming over Mahomes' return: Will not playing in a preseason game
affect his performance? The only other time he has gone an entire preseason
without a game snap came during the pandemic, when all of the exhibition games
were canceled.
"Me and Pat, we've kind of been working this offseason, the timing and stuff
you need to work on," Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy said, when asked about
the rapport with his quarterback. "I feel like when it's time to play, we'll
all be ready."
Worthy always thought Mahomes would be ready for the start of the season. In
fact, he returned to Kansas City early this summer to work out with Mahomes,
who was spending his days rehabbing his knee while watching World Cup games on
TV.
"His will and want-to is beyond anything I've ever seen," Worthy said. "He kind
of leads the team in that way. You have your leader leading like that and guys
fall behind. He's just a ?will' guy, always willing to work."
Exactly who is protecting Mahomes should he play Week 1 is another question
mark.
Left tackle Josh Simmons remained out of practice Wednesday with a lingering
back injury, forcing Kansas City to shuffle the offensive line. Undrafted
rookie Kahlil Benson has been moving around in his absence, while Jaylon Moore
has also gotten first-team reps.
Perhaps wary of the injury woes up front --- guard Trey Smith has been dealing
with a hip injury --- the Chiefs made a couple of moves to build their depth in
recent days. They sent a conditional sixth-round pick to Baltimore for
undrafted rookie Diego Pounds, and they acquired Joshua Ezeudu from the Giants
for a seventh-round selection.
"It's just a matter of them getting adjusted to everything, from the snap count
to the plays to the calls to the pass protection," Reid said. "It was great to
get them in there. There were a couple of hiccups in there but for the most
part they did a great job."
___
See AP's full NFL coverage here
