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Chiefs consulted baseball doctors after Patrick Mahomes’ elbow injury scare: ‘Got away with one’
The Kansas City Chiefs sought specialist opinions from two Major League Baseball doctors after Patrick Mahomes injured his throwing elbow in last week’s win over the New York Jets. Scans showed a muscle strain and a very small sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL); doctors judged it safe for the quarterback to play against Atlanta after treatment.
The team consulted Royals physician Vincent Key, who specialises in UCL surgery, and Rangers physician Keith Meister, an elbow and shoulder specialist, because such injuries are common in baseball. They reportedly warned the damage could have been much worse, with Key saying the Chiefs had “got away with one”. Mahomes, 31, previously recovered from a season-ending ACL tear to start this season; Arizona quarterback Gardner Minshew is expected to miss the rest of the season after a more serious UCL injury.
In short
- Mahomes has a muscle strain and a very small UCL sprain.
- Two MLB doctors deemed it safe for him to play.
- Specialists said the elbow damage could have been worse.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Chiefs could reasonably argue that consulting doctors experienced with UCL injuries helped them assess a specialised risk and make an informed decision about Mahomes’ fitness. With scans showing a small sprain and specialists judging it safe for him to play after treatment, allowing him to start could be seen as a proportionate choice that balanced medical advice with the team’s sporting needs.
The case against
A cautious view is that even a small UCL injury can worsen, and the specialists’ warning that the Chiefs had “got away with one” underlines the uncertainty. Resting Mahomes could have protected his long-term health and reduced the chance that playing soon after the injury would turn a limited strain into a more serious problem.