Dr. Chao: Exploring The Rest Versus Rust Argument On Patrick Mahomes And The Chiefs
Saturday's NFL Divisional Round playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans will be a real world test weighing rust versus rest – the idea of keeping players out of the lineup in order to get them healthier at the risk of them losing their edge.
And OutKick medical expert Dr. David Chao is confident that in the case of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, rest will prove to outweigh rust this game, especially as it pertains to the quarterback.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. (Credit: Getty Images)
Dr. Chao: Rest Is Best For Mahomes
"I would argue that the upside of his ankle being better outweighs the rust issue," Dr. Chao said of Mahomes. "Clearly, that ankle was bothering him. Yes, he ran straight ahead for a scramble, but he wasn't cutting. Clearly, his passes were shorter and underneath and he wasn't driving the football.
"Will there be a rust factor? Maybe. Maybe I believe too much in the Mahomes magic. He is human. But if you said figure a Delta on Mahomes, it would be Delta up rather than down based on rust is my impression."
Mahomes has not played since Dec. 25, when the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 overall seed and home field advantage in the playoffs.
So he's been off 24 days without playing in an NFL game.
CLEVELAND - Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. (51) and linebacker Devin Bush (30) rush Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) on Dec. 15, 2024 at Huntington Bank Field. Photo: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Chiefs Offensive Line Faces Questions
And, yes, that could require him to acclimate to game speed in a playoff game. But Mahomes, you'll recall, suffered a mild high ankle sprain against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 15. He then played through the injury in victories over the Texans only days later and the Steelers on Christmas.
The rest since then has not exactly healed Mahomes 100 percent. He was still on the injury report this week leading up to the Texans rematch. But he was a full participant in practices and got no injury status designation at the end of the week.
Does that hold for the rest of the Chiefs team that battled injuries much of the season?
"I think for Kansas City, the biggest question mark for the team is the offensive line," Dr. Chao said. "We've known all year their tackles are bad …"
And "bad" forced extreme measures in that the team acquired D.J. Humphries, who was recovering from a knee injury suffered in the final game of the 2023 season with Arizona, and put him in the lineup pretty quickly.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Humphries #70 of the Kansas City Chiefs prepares to block during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 8, 2024. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
D.J. Humphries Is The Backup Plan
Humphries pulled a hamstring in his first game with the team and hasn't played since.
So the Chiefs have decided that moving Joe Thuney from left guard to left tackle and starting Mike Caliendo at left guard, is better than starting Wanya Morris or even Humphries, coming back from his injury.
If right tackle Jawaan Taylor struggles against Houston's explosive pass rush duo of Will Anderson Jr. or Danielle Hunter, it is possible the Chiefs may try Humphries at right tackle as an option.
He played the first 10 games of his professional career at that spot before being moved permanently to left tackle.
So is Humphries properly acclimated now which he obviously wasn't on Dec. 8 when he tried against the Chargers before hurting his hammy?
"It's well known that early season, there are soft tissue acclimation injuries," Dr. Chao said. "Look at the number of hamstrings, calves [strains] you get early season and in training camp. During ramp up, you get a lot of soft tissue injuries.
"And then you have the situation with D.J. Humphries where, perhaps they were a little eager to get him going, and he's in preseason form, and he's put into a full NFL game, not ramped up like we try to do in the preseason. So, yes, that potentially is worse. You add to that compensation from his knee injury. What role does that play?
"Does that mean that everyone who comes back like that gets a muscle injury? No. But it is a higher propensity to happen."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - D.J. Humphries #70 of the Kansas City Chiefs lines up before the snap during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 8, 2024. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
D.J. Humphries Has Things To Prove
Dr. Chao said Sports Injury Central has not yet seen that Humphries's knee is fully healthy and the reality is he hasn't been able to finish a game so there's uncertainty about the hamstring although Humphries is fully off the injury report.
"But otherwise, I'm not worried about Mahomes or Travis Kelce rust," Dr. Chao said. "The defense, rest helps. Resting Chris Jones is huge. I believe his calf is better. Is it 100 percent? Maybe not, but significantly better.
"Overall, I would say I'm happy with the Chiefs' direction."