Andy Reid is known to play guys during the preseason. Their standing in terms of the rest of the league does not matter. But is Patrick Mahomes playing for nearly a full half against the Cardinals like Reid has done with starters in the past? It appears as though Reid doesn’t plan on changing his strategy toward these middle preseason games.
Is Patrick Mahomes playing tonight?
Reid said that Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs’ starters would play for nearly a full half on Friday [August 20]. Well, he sort of said that. Reid didn’t guarantee Mahomes will get a full two quarters of play. However, he did say that with all the new pieces on the roster, they must get live game reps with Mahomes’ cadence.
The 2018 NFL MVP played only four offensive snaps in the first preseason game. Keeping Mahomes upright and healthy is paramount. Reid doesn’t want the offense to head into their Week 1 contest against a good Browns team without taking live reps against an opponent’s defense.
Practice and joint practices are valuable. Those reps are crucial and even more valuable to the veterans than the preseason is. Yet, the crowd noise is limited in those instances, and the quarterback can’t be touched either. That’s great for a quarterback’s health, but it potentially takes some motivation away from both sides, even if only in the subconscious.
Coming off a toe injury
Mahomes had surgery during the offseason to fix a turf toe issue. He battled the injury toward the end of the 2020 NFL season. That injury, supplemented by the offensive tackle injuries they sustained, was part of the reason why the Chiefs fell short in the Super Bowl.
Mahomes saw foot expert Dr. Robert Anderson (not Rex Ryan) to surgically repair his ailing foot. The surgery was successful, and Mahomes is back on the field and ready to go for Week 1.
Dalton Miller is the Lead NFL Analyst for Pro Football Network. You can find his writing here and his voice and face on Pro Football Network Daily. Follow him on Twitch and Twitter.
