KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The final test came in the aftermath. Following a 24-day preparation for a return from a dislocated kneecap, how would Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes respond to an actual NFL game?
So far, so good.
Or better yet, perhaps even more healthy than before.
Mahomes said his body has shown no ill effects this week after Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, his first game action since the injury on Oct. 17. In fact, the layoff provided a silver lining in the form of time for his ankle on the opposite leg to heal.
To put a comparative value on it: That's left him feeling better than he has since the season opener in Jacksonville.
"Just being able to not have to worry about the ankle or not have to worry about the knee and just being able to go out there and play football the way that I've played it my whole career so far," Mahomes said Thursday, four days before the Chiefs play the Chargers in Mexico City.
It looked that way for one game. Mahomes fired the football a season-high 50 times and passed for 446 yards Sunday in Nashville, the second-highest total of his 25-start career. He threw three touchdown passes.
Without a worry in the world, he said. Although every moment of his rehab concentrated on strengthening the muscles around his knee and stabilizing what he has understood to be a "fluke injury," he waited on that to all leave his mind. He wondered if it would, actually.
As he stepped onto the field for pregame warmups in Nashville, his inner worry seemed to evaporate. He described it as a non-factor during the game, not even entering the equation as he decided how to approach a play. And if you need a supportive example, look no further than his jump pass to Mecole Hardman for a 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
"You can't really think about those things," Mahomes said. "Whenever you're playing this sport, you have to be focused on what you need to be focused on in order to have success. The little things that you're not thinking about or focused on, those will come back to hurt you in the end. For me, I just had complete focus on the football play."
But afterward? Back to work.
Mahomes made it through the initial game of his return unscathed, looking like himself more quickly than most anyone could have anticipated. But when he arrived back in Kansas City, the rehab marched on _ as it likely will the remainder of the season. Mahomes still must complete daily procedures to maintain the strength and mobility in his leg.
The grinding process has provided him a lesson, of sorts.
"I think as I went through rehab, I understood that even if I'm not necessarily hurt, I still need to take care of my body at that same level," he said. "For me, as I've matured as a person, I realize I need to be taking care of my body each and every day.
"I'll still have the same schedule as far as what I need to prepare myself for the week for the football game. But I'll just add in the extra time that I have and maybe an extra hour here or there to make sure I'm in that training room to get myself right."
