Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes thinks his toe injury is ‘ahead of schedule’
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is still rehabbing from offseason toe surgery but thinks he’s “ahead of schedule” in his recovery.
Mahomes had surgery earlier this offseason on his plantar plate to repair a “turf toe” injury that affected him late in the 2020 NFL postseason. He had to wear a custom orthotic during Super Bowl LV in order to protect his toe from further injury. The latest comments from Chiefs HC Andy Reid suggest that his toe was swollen, stiff and a bit worse than let on at the time.
Our last update from Mahomes came around Easter when he was spotted still wearing a walking boot. Now, Mahomes is out of the walking boot and is taking the next steps to be ready for the 2021 NFL season.
“Yeah, I mean I think I’m progressing well,” Mahomes told reporters on Monday. “I think I’m ahead of schedule myself. Obviously, they’re trying to be cautious and not push me out there too soon, but I’m doing what I can. I got out of the boot finally, it took forever and now I’m trying to get back on the field and get that stuff working. So I’m sure they’ll keep me along that same pathway to hopefully be able to do some stuff by the end of the offseason.”
Mahomes is in the building working with the training staff and doing everything he can to be ready to start the season. He believes he’s ahead of schedule, but they’re also trying to find a balance between proper rehab and doing too much. While Mahomes won’t be able to do everything he’d normally do during the offseason, he sees this as an opportunity to improve one specific area of his game.
“You just have to find different ways to improve,” Mahomes said. “There’s so many different things that I can improve in my game. Being able to kind of restart and start from the injury with the feet, I can really improve my footwork. I can really try and make myself better. I mean, I’ve dealt with ankle injuries in my career and being able to teach myself how to hit in the right spots in my feet. Teaching myself just how to get back from this injury I think will really help me out in the long run and is something I can really focus on.”
Mahomes’ footwork was heavily criticized when he first entered the league, but he proved doubters wrong with his natural arm talent. He’s become known for off-platform throws and the ability to push the ball down the field with the flick of his wrist. Now, he feels that he’ll have a chance to improve that oft-criticized area of his game for the 2021 NFL season. He also hopes that the work he does will make him even better in the long run.
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