The Kansas City Chiefs will have a bye week during the Wild Card round of the postseason and a chance to get multiple players healthy in that time. After the resounding victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, star Patrick Mahomes put the suspense in the air by talking about his presence in the last game of the NFL regular season for Andy Reid‘s team.
With one game remaining in the regular season, the Chiefs have already achieved their goal of winning the AFC West for the ninth straight year, as well as gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs. If Mahomes does not play against the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City franchise would have him available again for the divisional round, which would mean that in the meantime the quarterback and some of his teammates could be fully recovered from some aches and pains.
While their next game against the Broncos is in early January, the Chiefs have been on a roll with three wins in 11 days. Reid will need to manage his team’s energy levels to ensure they will be at their best for the playoffs. With a few days of rest ahead of him, Mahomes also offered a candid perspective on how he feels at this point in the year.
Mahomes’ clear message on his availability for the last game of the regular season
“Denver Broncos will probably be a playoffs team anyway, so I’ll prepare for the game against them like I’m going to start, and if coach wants me to go out there and play, I’ll go out there and play. If he doesn’t want me to, I’ll sit out,” Mahomes declared after the game against the Steelers giving the responsibility to Reid.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) looks to pass during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
“We got some guys banged up and to get them back healthy now, and we’ll see how week 18 goes, and who plays and who doesn’t play. That’s up to coach Reid. But even getting this little break, getting back healthy, and then getting ourselves ready for the playoffs was super important,” Mahomes sentenced. The Chiefs could rest their starting players against the Broncos and then enjoy another two weeks of non-action, but Reid will have to keep the lack of rhythm from affecting his team.
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Andy Reid sent a strong message about his plan for the next game
Andy Reid doesn’t seem too convinced about resting Mahomes and other stars when the Chiefs face the Broncos. “We know that our work isn’t done for sure. We’re going to celebrate this, but we’re going to get right back on it. We’ve got a good Denver team that we’re going up to play. We’ve got the playoffs coming up. So, we’ve got to make sure that we stay sharp throughout here. I think the bye week will definitely help with some of the guys that are banged up,” Reid said.
