Don't sleep on Patrick Mahomes injury leading up to potential Super Bowl three-peat

The stage for Super Bowl LIX has been set for Super Bowl LIX. The Kansas City Chiefs will clash against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday.

For Kansas City, the game is about history. The Chiefs could become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowl championships. For Philadelphia, it's about revenge. Two years ago, the Eagles suffered a 38-35 loss against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, which was surrounded by controversy about the poor field conditions.

No team is completely healthy at this point of the season, but the conference champions are both entering the game with relatively few injury concerns. Kansas City, in particular, is healthier than they've been throughout the season. Several players have returned from multi-game injuries they early in the season, including running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.

Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury could be worth keeping an eye on

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become a staple on Kansas City's injury report due to a lingering ankle injury. He initially suffered a high ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16. Understandably, the injury has mostly been overlooked — Mahomes has thrived despite the sprained ankle. He did not miss a single game and has been a full participant in practice since the start of the postseason.

Still, the sprained ankle could cause problems for Kansas City if it flares up. Kansas City has struggled with pass protection throughout the season. Chiefs left guard Joe Thuney was forced to move out to left tackle, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor has been dealing with a knee injury. That could give Philadelphia's defense plenty of opportunities to collapse the pocket.

Mahomes has completed 34 of 51 pass attempts for 422 yards and two touchdowns in two postseason games, while adding 57 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. While those are relatively pedestrian numbers, he's played a clean and efficient game to lead Kansas City to yet another Super Bowl appearance. Philadelphia's defense will be looking to make that offensive operation a bit more sloppy.

Under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the Eagles defense finished as the top-ranked defense in yards allowed and the second-best scoring defense. The Eagles led the league in opponent-adjusted defensive EPA/play against passing plays and running plays, per Field Vision Sports. A large part of their success was due to their league-high 22 forced fumbles, and they've also sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times through three postseason games.