Patrick Mahomes injury update: All systems go for AFC Championship Game?

Patrick Mahomes is making significant progress in practice just days ahead of the AFC Championship Game.

Mahomes suffered a concussion against the Cleveland Browns in the Chiefs’ narrow escape on Sunday afternoon. While Chad Henne was able to lead Kansas City to victory over Cleveland, the Buffalo Bills pose a more significant challenge, and defeating Josh Allen and Co. without Mahomes at the helm would be difficult to say the least.

Throughout the week, Mahomes has returned to practice in some form, and on Thursday it would appear he’s taken another step in his recovery per Nate Taylor, who covers the team for The Athletic.

Do the Chiefs have any chance should Mahomes not be able to play?

Simply put, of course. The Chiefs are a well-oiled machine coached by two of the best offensive minds in football in Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy. As we saw late in the game against Cleveland, the Chiefs were able to adjust on the fly and put together enough of an offensive attack to hold off one of the better teams in the AFC. With a full week to prepare, there’s no telling what this Chiefs offense could look like with Henne leading the way, rather than the former MVP Mahomes.

With or without Mahomes, the Chiefs defense will be called upon to put up a respectable showing against Allen, who himself is among the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. Allen is an MVP candidate for a reason, and in the postseason has revealed just how dangerous he can be with Brian Daboll calling the shots.

The NFL claims to take concussion protocol very seriously, and while Mahomes is the greatest player of his generation, he’ll have to prove he can pass every test before taking the field this weekend. So far, so good.