Patrick Mahomes sets the bar for replacements if Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce cannot play
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs may have been invincible in the win column for nearly the last two months, but their players haven't been as lucky when it comes to COVID-19.
kelce" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are both on the reserve/Covid-19 list. Their availability heading into Week 16's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is strongly in doubt.
Despite rolling back the COVID-19 regulations this week, the odds of having both players available are shrinking rapidly. The Chiefs know this and are preparing for the worst-case scenario.
Mahomes answered a few questions about what the plan was on Thursday. In doing so, he set the bar for potential replacements for Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
Patrick Mahomes on replacements for Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce
Essentially, Patrick Mahomes isn't expecting an exact duplicate performance from the stand-ins, but he is expecting something close. According to Chiefs Wire, Mahomes remains fully confident in his receivers to perform.
”We haven’t really changed much,” Mahomes explained. “I mean, there are obviously some routes and stuff like that, that Travis (Kelce) and Tyreek (Hill) can run that no one else in this world really can, but really, we just went out there and put a game plan together, trusting these guys to make plays happen and we got the guys to do it. We got the speed; we got the playmakers, and I’m going to keep trusting in them. Hopefully, we have Trav and Tyreek back, but if not, we’ll be ready to go.”
Some teams have elected to give a lighter workload to those coming off COVID-19, but the Chiefs will maintain the same expectations for Hill and Kelce no matter how close to game day they return if they do at all.
Essentially, Mahomes is saying he won't be changing how he approaches the game, regardless of who is playing.
The #Chiefs are getting TE Blake Bell back off the COVID-19 reserve list, source said. They still have tomorrow to get Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce and others back.
Of course, this could be a feint to keep defenses on their toes. That said, one player to watch is wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
Hardman was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft as a contingency plan for Tyreek Hill, who was in legal trouble at the time.
Summarized as best as possible:
“Chiefs remain optimistic both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce can clear protocols [ahead of Week 16]
Titans have until 3 PM to activate A.J. Brown off IR - he’s neither in nor out at this time, but team has some optimism”
https://t.co/JutDGZnEEG
Hardman hasn't had the chance to show his true skills with Kelce and Hill available to soak up targets. If they don't play, this could be Hardman's moment to prove his worth.
If he plays well, it could be an indication that the Chiefs have another weapon that needs to be targeted more. If he struggles, it could be a red flag for the Chiefs to ponder a permanent replacement.