Is Patrick Mahomes injured? Exploring Chiefs QB's status for Week 12 Fantasy FootballÂ
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs faced their first loss in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season against the Bills as Josh Allen and company bested them to end their undefeated record.
Kansas City is now 9-1 for the year and still leads the overall AFC standings. But things are getting exciting below them and the gap is reducing. Buffalo has the same number of wins as them and another slip-up by the Chiefs against the Panthers this week would put them behind the Bills in the standings, who are on a bye.
In the AFC West, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are just two games ahead of the 7-3 Los Angeles Chargers. If Justin Herbert can mastermind a win against the Ravens in Week 12, they would be a game behind Kansas City.
With the competition heating up, the Chiefs need their quarterback to be available to navigate the waters. Here's a look at whether he will be available in Carolina.
Patrick Mahomes' Week 12 injury update
Patrick Mahomes has been battling injuries since Week 9. Initially, it was just his ankle that was being kept under watch but his hip was also mentioned in the injury report before facing the Bills. He played through the pain in each instance but the fear was always that he might end up aggravating it further.
While the Chiefs have lost their unbeaten record, there is better news on that front. Not only have his injuries not been compounded but Patrick Mahomes has been left out of the injury report altogether this week. He is as healthy as one can be in the middle of the season.
The latest photos that emerged from Kansas City's training session seemed to confirm the news too. He was not wearing any ankle brace or extra protection around that area. Expect the Panthers to face the reigning Super Bowl MVP as he looks to bounce back from his Week 11 loss.
How has Patrick Mahomes performed this season?
Patrick Mahomes has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for the past few seasons and that dynamic has not changed this year. He still has the ability to eke out crucial plays during critical situations. However, 2024 has been a bit of a comedown based on his own high standards.
He has 2,404 yards this season and has only breached the 300-yard mark once against the Saints. In that game, though, he had no touchdowns but was picked off once. Interceptions have been a regular feature for the Chiefs quarterback and he has already racked up 11 for the year, at a clip of one per game. His touchdown output is also down with just 15 going into the match against the Panthers.
He is undoubtedly not having his best season, but Kansas City's defense has stepped up when needed and Andy Reid's play calling has been top notch too. However, it would take a brave person to bet against Patrick Mahomes in the NFL or fantasy football.
He has stepped up when it has mattered and in Week 12 he is facing off against a Carolina team that has one of the worst records in the league. They are allowing 386.9 yards per game in total and one can expect Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to have the right plan to exploit it.
With long-term absentees like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Isiah Pacheco also returning or scheduled to soon, the Chiefs are the healthiest that they have been in a long time and their quarterback will have more weapons to rely on.
It could well be that Kansas City's offense starts playing better than it has all year going towards the end of the season and the playoffs. Nobody should be surprised if that happens, because that is how they won the Super Bowl in 2023.