Patrick Mahomes has looked sharp in camp, and the buzz around Kansas City is that their star quarterback will be good to go for Week 1. But not everyone is buying it just yet.
Former Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel isn’t so sure the knee is fully behind him. Breaking down recent training footage, Daniel pointed out something subtle that most fans probably missed.
Chase Daniel Spots Lingering Concerns in Patrick Mahomes’ Knee
“He’s absolutely still babying the left knee,” Daniel said. “He looks trimmer, he looks a little bit more explosive, but he’s absolutely still babying the left knee.”
That assessment stands in contrast to the recent optimism surrounding Mahomes, who had a 79.0 grade in PFN’s QB Impact Ratings last season.
Reports have painted a picture of a quarterback who’s slimmed down, moving well, and ready to roll. Daniel isn’t dismissing that entirely. He just thinks people might be getting ahead of themselves.
“A lot of people will say, ‘Hey, he looks full go,'” Daniel explained. “I mean, Week 1, in my opinion, still in question. Wouldn’t be surprised he did this, you know, in December.”
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In Daniel’s view, the Chiefs could take a cautious approach with Mahomes, even if that means sitting him for the season opener should any concerns remain. That would be a significant shift from the “he’s ready” narrative that’s dominated headlines lately.
Daniel’s assessment wasn’t based on a gut feeling. He broke down film from a play featuring Mahomes on a seven-step drop to explain what caught his attention.
“And so this is a 7-step drop. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,” he said. “They’re faking to the right. A lot of times when you’re going that way, you’ll just open up that way.”
What caught Daniel’s eye was an unusual choice in Mahomes’ footwork on the play. Instead of the fake he’d typically expect, Mahomes did something different.
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“I don’t know. I’ve never really seen him spin out to their handoff,” Daniel said. “So it’s a spin-out fake.”
The unusual footwork left Daniel searching for an explanation. He couldn’t tell whether the spin move was intentional or a subtle adjustment to protect Mahomes’ recovering knee.
“I don’t know if that is because of his left foot, because he wants it,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know. That’s a good question. Something to really look at. I’ll go back and look at other videos and we’ll see.”
Even with the uncertainty, Daniel gave credit where it was due. The throw itself, spin move, and all, still came out clean. “But pretty good little, little throw right there,” he said.
Then Daniel zoomed back in on the mechanics, specifically what’s happening with Mahomes’ plant leg during his delivery.
“A lot of times, you know, look at his left leg right there. It’s pointed right at his target,” Daniel said. “His knee looks a little bit left. But he can’t really bend it.”
That lack of bend, according to Daniel, is the real tell. It’s a small mechanical wrinkle, but for a former NFL quarterback watching closely, it speaks volumes.
