Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes plans to play against Texans on Saturday despite his high-ankle sprain

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is preparing to play against Houston on Saturday, unless his ailing ankle puts the two-time MVP in such a precarious position that he can’t protect himself or he “puts the football team in a bad position.”

Mahomes sustained a mild high-ankle sprain late in a 21-7 win in Cleveland on Sunday. He began to receive treatment on the plane ride home — “I wasn’t do high-knees or anything like that,” he quipped — and spent more than 12 hours getting additional work on it at the practice facility Monday, even though most of the team was given the day off.

Mahomes was back on the practice field Tuesday with Carson Wentz there to back him up.

“You don’t want to go out there and put yourself in harm’s way. It’s football. You’re going to take hits. But you want to be able to protect yourself,” Mahomes said. “And I don’t want to limit the game plan. I want to be able to move around the pocket.”

Mahomes has plenty of experience with ankle injuries to draw from. He sustained a similar one against Jacksonville in Week 1 of the 2019 season, then a more serious one against the Jaguars in the 2022 playoffs. In that case, he was unable to end the game but got enough treatment to play against Cincinnati for the AFC title and Philadelphia in the Super Bowl.

“Jacksonville was worse. That one was pretty significant,” Mahomes said. “Obviously it’s responded better, quicker. That would be the best thing to say. But I want to be in a better spot than I was that next game going up against the Bengals.”

Mahomes has the luxury of time that he didn’t have two years ago. The Chiefs already have clinched the AFC West title and a spot in the playoffs, and he could conceivably miss a game or two if it meant being fully healthy for the postseason.

Yet there is much riding on this three-game stretch against Houston on Saturday, the Steelers on Christmas Day and the Broncos the final weekend of the regular season. The Chiefs (13-1) are clinging to a two-game lead over the Bills for the No. 1 seed and the lone playoff bye, but Buffalo holds the tiebreaker over them by virtue of their victory earlier this season.

“Every game counts,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “If your guys can play, they play, as long as medically they’re fine to go.”

While Mahomes has a reputation for playing through pain, and even arguing with Reid on the sideline to stay in games in which he’s been hurt, Reid believes his quarterback will be honest with how his ankle feels throughout the week.

“He’s going to go through some stuff and we’ll see how that works out for him. And if he can’t work, then Carson will take those reps that Pat doesn’t,” Reid said. “We have full confidence in Carson if he has to step in and play. I think everybody — coaches and players — have full confidence he can go in and do a nice job.”

Wentz, who signed a $3.325 million contract with Kansas City to replace Blaine Gabbert as Mahomes’ backup, has appeared in nearly 100 games during his NFL career. He completed both of his pass attempts for 20 yards in the closing minutes against the Browns, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock on their victory.

“Got my feet wet a little bit at the end of last game and felt good out there,” Wentz said. “Nothing is going to change this week. Patrick has had some nicks and bruises all year and I’ve prepared myself the same way.”

COMMANDERS HOME?

The Washington Commanders are another step closer to the possibility of returning to the franchise’s old home in the nation’s capital.

A provision to transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia is included in Congress’ short-term spending bill, which lawmakers are racing to pass.

It’s a significant victory for the organization and the NFL after controlling owner Josh Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act earlier this month.

Mayor Muriel Bowser called it a “giant step forward” to unlocking the site’s potential.

“As a city, we have worked for years to get control of the RFK campus,” Bowser said. “We’re celebrating this moment, and we’re looking to the future of a field of possibilities on the banks of the Anacostia.”

One possibility is obviously a football stadium.

The Commanders are considering places in the district, Maryland and Virginia to build a stadium in the coming years. Their lease at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, runs through 2027, and Harris called 2030 a “reasonable target” for a new one.

The team played at RFK Stadium 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) east of the Capitol from 1961-96 before moving to Maryland. Harris and several co-owners, including Mitch Rales and Mark Ein, grew up as Washington football fans during that era, which included the glory days of three Super Bowl championships from 1982-91.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., praised the move as evidence Congress is doing its job to oversee the city.

“This landmark legislation will unlock the district’s full potential, generate meaningful new jobs, and add millions in additional city revenue for the nation’s capital,” Comer said in a statement. “Without Congressional action, this land would remain vacant, leaving ongoing maintenance costs and liabilities to burden the American taxpayer. Now is the time to get the federal government out of the way and empower local officials to clean up the RFK site, invest and create new economic opportunities.“

BROWNS MAKE SWITCH

CLEVELAND — Finally, an acceptable turnover for the Browns.

Cleveland will start quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Sunday in Cincinnati, turning to the second-year QB to replace Jameis Winston after he threw three more interceptions, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Winston, who took over Cleveland’s starting job in October when Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon, was benched after throwing his third pick — and eighth in three games — in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thompson-Robinson finished the game and will now move into the starting lineup and face the Bengals (6-8), said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team has not commented.

The Browns (3-11) were off Tuesday.

On Monday, coach Kevin Stefanski said he and his staff were working through their plans at QB, but his lack of commitment toward Winston was a strong sign he would make the change to Thompson-Robinson, who made three starts as a rookie in 2023.

While Winston did get Cleveland’s offense going after replacing an ineffective Watson, he couldn’t cut down on his interceptions, throwing 12 while going 2-5 in his seven starts.

Winston passed for more than 300 yards three times, posting a franchise-record 497 yards and four touchdowns two weeks ago against Denver. But he also threw three interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns.

A fifth-round pick from UCLA, Thompson-Robinson went 1-2 in his three starts last season. In two years, he’s completed 75 of 146 passes (51.4%) for 540 yards and a touchdown. He has thrown seven interceptions.

He’s expected to start the final three games, giving the organization a chance to make a better evaluation with the position unsettled for 2025.

The Browns have high hopes for the 25-year-old and will use the rest of this season to assess Thompson-Robinson’s development and see whether he can be in the mix to be their starter going forward.

Following Sunday’s game, Thompson-Robinson was looking forward to the chance to play more.

“I’m trying to prove that I’m worth something to this team, that I can help this team in any way I can,” he said. ”If I do get the opportunity, it’s going to be to show, improve and send the rest of this team out on a high note going into next year.”