2 min read • August 29, 2020
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The half a billion dollar man/Super Bowl champion/MVP had his share of injury issues last season. He started the year with a high ankle sprain which he later re-aggravated. He then suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Week 7 matchup. Mahomes missed three and a half weeks but still proved to be a quick healer. While the ankle is at no increased risk for re-injury, the knee still is. Once a patella dislocates, ligaments undoubtedly stretch/tear and without surgery there is always risk. How much risk remains and can't be determined from afar with an examination and review of images, but clearly he performed well without any noticeable issues. That worry has to be in the back of the Chiefs' minds, and Mahomes’ unique physiology plays a role in all this. Mahomes is very flexible with loose ligaments that allow him to have more shoulder motion to "sling shot" the football, but this trait makes him more vulnerable to the patella issue in particular. He played well after returning to the field, putting up some of his best performances like a 446 yard, three touchdown game in his first week back versus the Titans, and a 321 yard, 5 touchdown miracle comeback versus the Texans in the playoffs. The rule of thumb is that once a dislocation happens, the easier it happens again. We all remember that the injury happened on a relatively innocuous quarterback sneak meaning there will always be a watchful eye on his knee.
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