When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017, the quarterback wanted to show everyone that he was not just a pretty arm. But its uncanny power couldn’t be more real, especially if you saw what he did in Sunday’s 35-12 blowout win over the New York Jets.

While the Jets’ visit to Arrowhead Stadium was mostly inauspicious, their rookie linebacker David Bailey became the only bright spot, torturing his fellow Red Raider alum to give the Chiefs a scary moment early in the game.

Bailey already had a pair of tackles and a sack, but his strip-sack with 1:33 left in the second quarter, which awkwardly bent Mahomes’ throwing arm, would’ve been a highlight – for the LB… He made the NFL’s literally the most valuable and one of the toughest players to think about his carefree nature, from all the way back to his high school, after all. As it turns out, though, all might be well that has ended well.

Mahomes had decided to undergo a precautionary MRI after the game on Sunday night. As ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported, the scans were clean. He also noted that Mahomes’ elbow will stay under supervision for possible strain or sprain over the next few days. The Chiefs medical staff will be vigilant for any pain or swelling around the joint. Despite the results being negative for any issues, Mahomes still wants confirmation, considering how he still feels about his ACL tear from last year.

Mahomes was scared about his elbow because of his previous knee injury

The biggest thing a primary quarterback can do for his team is to be available for them. Last season, Mahomes couldn’t do so after tearing his ACL later in the season. But the fear is not about injuring himself, but about not knowing whether he has already been harmed.

“I feel good now,” Mahomes said in the postgame presser. “Obviously, you get the win and the adrenaline’s pumping. I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow, but we’ll get right to it.

“It scares you in moments, when you get some pains in certain areas of your body. Obviously, it didn’t feel great, but I was able to kind of get it worked on a little bit, especially at halftime. 

“Any time it’s elbows and knees, it’s always scary, just because you just don’t know. Even my knee last year, after we were doing the initial test, I thought, because I could walk off the field, I was going to be good. Then, all of a sudden, you do one test, and you’re just out [for the rest of the season]. That stuff scares you. Once I could throw the ball, I knew it wasn’t a ligament, and it was more muscles.” 

Patrick Mahomes returned stronger against the Jets as the defense and Reid’s strategy shift helped in the emphatic win

Head coach Andy Reid was right when he said that when you have a strong quarterback, injury to him can affect the entire team. The flip side of that notion would be how the quarterback returning from an injury scare could boost the team, too. It was certainly the case on Sunday.

Mahomes walked off the field with his throwing arm hanging limp at his side, with a grimace visible on his face. But after he sat down and talked over to the medical staff and assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer, he was back to work.

Frymyer, who also helped Mahomes rehabilitate his ACL over the offseason, worked with him during halftime. The QB was seen making some throws and warmed up his arm enough to return to the field without missing a single snap.

However, Next Gen Stats reported that Mahomes averaged only 2.8 air yards per attempt, his second-fewest in his career. His longest pass of the second half was a 38-yarder to tight end Travis Kelce, with the ball traveling 15 yards downfield. But that wasn’t without a plan.

Reid adjusted the offensive game plan in the second half, with Mahomes’ most completions in the third quarter being short throws. Thankfully, they have enough skill players like running back Kenneth Walker III and receiver Xavier Worthy who added yards after catches.

“I felt like out of the half, I wasn’t throwing the ball the way I wanted to,” he said. “As the game went on — and we continued to work through it and it kind of got warmed back up — I thought I started throwing the ball better towards the end of the second half.”

And did he throw better!

Sure, the Jets’ defense is ranked 24th in the league, according to PFF, but as Reid said, “Pat did some nice things, even with the sore arm.”

Mahomes responded by completing 12-of-16 passes for 122 in the second half. But his defense also stepped up against the league’s fifth-best offense, shutting out the Jets 21-0 in that span. He completed 23-of-31 passes for 242 yards and scored two touchdowns, both before the injury. The Jets sacked him twice, but couldn’t intercept him. 

“He’s a tough kid,” Reid said of “the toughest player he has ever coached”. “If there’s any way he can come back from something, he’s coming back. I didn’t know until we were getting ready to start that [next] series.” 

The next series is certainly the focus now

While Mahomes was feeling more than well by the end of the game, he knew he would be sore the next day. He also knew he would have to undergo the protocol to ensure he was fit. If he doesn’t feel his best, though, Reid has already said the plan ​will be to “prepare Justin (Fields)” ​to face the ⁠Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Fields did not attempt a pass against his former team but ran twice for minus-1 yard.

Rest assured, Chiefs VP of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder and Frymyer will put a specific plan in place for the QB. That could include a limited practice session early in the week, with the team ramping things up with the Falcons game approaching.

“That will be important this week is kind of getting the swelling and the fluid out of it so I can be ready to go from the first snap next week,” Mahomes said.

For now, his focus will remain on getting the fluid out of the joint and getting ready for Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons. 

It’s worth noting that Mahomes missed a few games in 2025 because of a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. He underwent surgery back in December to repair the ligaments and impressed the Chiefs with his determination to return for the 2026 season opener. 

He spent nine months in rehabilitation and never missed a day. Ultimately, he took off the knee brace and made a much-awaited comeback. Chiefs Kingdom can count on their franchise cornerstone once again.