Mahomes says he’s still rehabbing ankle injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes is throwing to Kansas City Chiefs receivers and running backs near his offseason home in Texas but said he’s still rehabbing the high ankle sprain he dealt with throughout the playoffs.

“It’s been more about just kind of managing it, getting the mobility back as best as I possibly can,” Mahomes said Monday as the Chiefs began their offseason program. “I wouldn’t say I’m 100%. … It’s just when you go through a grind of a week of training and you’re trying to push it and go through the rehab process, but at the same time you want to make sure you’re still building, you might be a little sore on the weekends. But I think we’ve done a great job of pushing it to the right limit to where now I’m throwing.

“There will still be a little bit of limitations going the next few weeks, but I’m going to be happy with where I’m at and we’ll keep pushing it and getting me to the right spot before the beginning of the season.”

Mahomes was injured during the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and played at something less than full strength during the rest of that game, the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LVII. He still played well enough in the conference championship game and the Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles to throw for a combined 508 yards and five touchdowns.

Mahomes was limited in the offseason two years ago after having toe surgery for an injury that plagued him in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LV loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team started the next season in 2021 at 3-4, by far its worst beginning to a season since Mahomes became the starting quarterback. Mahomes said he felt limited physically to begin that season because of the surgery.

No surgery was necessary for the high ankle sprain, and he said this injury wouldn’t be a similar problem lingering into the season.

“The foot, with having the surgery and having that cast on it, it just really cut my mobility down a lot and so I had to really work through that even into the season that next year,” Mahomes said.

“With the ankle, I’ve felt like we’ve improved, especially these last few weeks, a ton as far as the swelling. That went down finally. I don’t have that soreness just as much as I was having it after a few days of work. With the improvements that we’re making these last few weeks, I have a great feeling that by the time we get to training camp, it wouldn’t even be any question at all. We’ll continue to work through it. By OTAs [starting in May], I don’t think there’ll be any limitations on reps or anything like that, especially if I’m not running around a ton. But at the same time, we’ll continue the rehab process and making sure by the time we get to training camp, I can just roll out there and feel perfectly fine.”

The Chiefs will hold the first two weeks of their offseason program virtually. Coach Andy Reid said he wanted to provide the players a break after another extended season.

Mahomes has organized a passing camp to throw to a group of receivers that no longer includes JuJu Smith-Schuster or Mecole Hardman. Each departed as a free agent.

The Chiefs have bigger plans for two young receivers, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. Both were acquired last year, Toney in a midseason trade with the New York Giants and Moore in the second round of the draft.

“You start off with getting both those guys in Year 2 of the offense and letting them expand their roles,” Mahomes said. “I think you could see it, especially with Skyy at the end of the season, how he was getting more and more of them involved in the offense. I think he’ll continue to take those steps and be even better this next year when he’s more comfortable, can utilize his talents even more.

“With Kadarius, you all saw the upside this last year of how special of a talent he can be. To have him in that offense another year, have him working with Coach Reid, how we practice in training camp, I think he’ll have his body in the best shape that you could possibly be in to go out there and, and be healthy all season long. We’re excited for those guys to take those next steps within this offense.”