The NFL’s most aggressive pass rush, which amassed an impressive 70 sacks in the regular season, eliminated two quarterbacks in the conference title game against the San Francisco 49ers, essentially ending the game in the first quarter when linebacker Haason Reddick injured Brock Purdy’s elbow.
Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback, MVP candidate, and master of improvisation, is fully aware that the Eagles are targeting him next. His ankle injury will face the Eagles’ formidable defense. Despite his hobbling state, Mahomes managed to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game, but evading the Eagles’ relentless pass rush on one leg seems improbable.
So, what’s the status of Mahomes’ crucial high-ankle sprain six days before Super Bowl LVII?
“It is great,” Mahomes stated on Monday at the NFL’s Opening Night media event.
Well, maybe not great, but …
“It’s definitely better,” he clarified. “You never know exactly until you get to the game, obviously, but it’s definitely in a better position than it was at this time before the last game. We’ll keep pushing it, but not doing too much because you don’t want to have any setbacks, but I haven’t had any since the game at least.”
The two-week gap between games is beneficial, but high-ankle sprains often require several weeks to heal. One wrong tackle or twist, or a 260-pound Eagle falling on his foot, and Mahomes could be back to square one.
The Eagles might then have their biggest knockout streak since Joe Frazier. “I’m going to push it,” Mahomes said. “I got a lot of great teammates around me and not try to do too much, but I’ll definitely be in a better spot than I was that game.”
The Eagles had four players with double-digit sacks in the regular season: Reddick (16), Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, and Josh Sweat (11 each). The defense has maintained its intensity in the postseason, adding eight more sacks in two games. They also sidelined 49ers backup quarterback Josh Johnson with a concussion.
“We know it’s going to be a challenge, so I’ll work on throwing the ball away when I need to,” Mahomes said. “Get it out of my hands quick when I need to, and then when we need to trust the offensive line to block and we take some shots downfield, I’ll trust the offensive line to do that.”