Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes knocked from Browns game with ankle injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes tried to move up in the pocket and make something happen.

Playing behind a reshuffled offensive line, which featured a fourth left tackle and third in the last three weeks, Mahomes spent most of the second half getting beat up by the Cleveland Browns’ pass rush and planted into the Huntington Bank Field turf.

It was fourth-and-3 at the Browns' 39-yard line as the fourth-quarter clock rolled under 8 minutes remaining.

With the pass rush pinching from both sides, Mahomes slid forward, spotted JuJu Smith-Schuster and tried a jump pass for the first down.

As he leapt, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson wrapped up Mahomes’ legs from behind and landed on the back of his legs.

"I haven't seen it, but it felt like somebody hit me from behind, so I kind of just got rolled up on, which happens in football," Mahomes said. "I tried to bounce back up, but obviously it hurt a little bit."

Defensive end Isaiah McGuire also arrived as Mahomes released the ball, hitting him in the upper body from the front side and doubling over the two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP, who winced as he was helped to his feet and off the field.

Mahomes appeared to be favoring his right ankle and had both ankles taped on the sideline as the Chiefs’ defense forced a punt with Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking over for the Browns at quarterback.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed after the game that Mahomes suffered a sprained right ankle. He said it was not broken.

"He wanted to go back in," Reid said. "Listen, he's a tough kid, but there was no need for that."

Mahomes also spoke after the game. He's battled sprained ankles several other times in his career but didn't have a good sense for how bad Sunday's injury was yet.

"Usually, the day after is when you get a sense of it," Mahomes said. "But I feel like I could have finished the game in different circumstances. But I thought the smart decision, we talked about, was to put Carson (Wentz) in."

As for his availability against Houston next Saturday on short rest, Reid said, “I’m going to just see how it goes. He’ll literally be day-to-day as we go forward. I don’t know how much swelling he has or what will come from now until whenever.”

When Kansas City’s offense trotted back onto the field, hoping to nurse a 21-7 lead through the final 5:23, it was Wentz leading the offensive huddle and not Mahomes.

The Chiefs officially listed Mahomes as questionable to return with an ankle injury, but he remained on the sideline and didn’t retreat to the locker room for X-rays.

Kansas City’s offense committed two false starts on the ensuing drive.

Wentz completed his only two passes for 20 yards and added a 2-yard scramble, overcoming the first penalty, but the run game couldn’t overcome the second penalty, which led to Matt Araiza’s ninth punt of the game.

"He probably could have gone back in," Reid said of Mahomes. "He wanted to fight about it, but we've got good support there behind him with Carson. It was good to get him a few reps in there, too, and let our guys hear that snap count in case he has to go."

Mahomes finished 19 of 38 for 159 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He wasn’t sacked, but Cleveland was credited with 12 quarterback hits, including five by Tomlinson.

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