Why Patrick Mahomes Did Not Play in Chiefs-Broncos Game

The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos played each other on Sunday at Mile High Stadium in the final week of the regular season.

The Broncos, who came in at 9-7, faced a must-win scenario as the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals were on their tail for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC.

Luckily for Denver, they faced a Chiefs team that probably would have opted to skip the game altogether if they could have. In Week 17, Kansas City clinched the top seed in the AFC, meaning a loss to the Broncos wouldn’t have affected where it stood in the standings.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid rested several key starters in Week 18, prioritizing their health ahead of the playoffs. One of those sidelined was quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was listed as inactive for the game.

Mahomes has been nursing a mild high ankle sprain since the team’s 21-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. With the Chiefs already securing a first-round bye, giving Mahomes extra time to recover was a smart move to ensure he’s ready for their postseason run.

In Mahomes’ absence, Carson Wentz filled in at quarterback and completed 10 passes on 17 attempts for just 98 yards. The Chiefs fell 38-0, and their AFC West rival clinched a spot in the playoffs.

Kansas City (15-2) will now await the results in the Wild Card round to see who it will face in the Divisional Round.