Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes hurt his right throwing elbow on a hit during a pass attempt in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jets, then returned for the final series of the half. Mahomes played the last 32 seconds before halftime, completed a screen pass, and scrambled on a play where he landed on the elbow and appeared to show no pain. Kansas City has not announced a diagnosis, and the severity of the original injury is unclear. The Chiefs, 5-2 entering the day, led 14-12 when the half ended.
His return and the absence of visible discomfort are encouraging signs. Teams typically have a quarterback test his grip and throwing motion on the sideline before clearing him, and he was seen grimacing as he warmed up before going back in, so the elbow bears watching in the second half. An elbow injury to a throwing arm can range from a contusion or sprain to damage to the ulnar collateral ligament, which stabilizes the elbow during throwing, and the difference usually shows up on imaging. A mild sprain or contusion often allows a quarterback to play through it, sometimes with padding or a sleeve, while ligament damage can mean weeks or more. Kansas City plays next Sunday, November 15, at Atlanta, which leaves a week to evaluate the arm.
Patrick Mahomes Injury History
Mahomes has a light history with his throwing arm, and none of it involved the elbow. In September 2016 at Texas Tech, he left a game against Kansas in the third quarter with an AC joint sprain in the shoulder of his throwing arm, which was reported to be Grade 1 to 2 and not expected to require surgery. He fractured his left wrist, his non-throwing hand, in October 2016 and played through it for the final five games before surgery. In December 2019 at New England, he injured his right hand when he was hit as he scrambled and dumped off a pass, got up shaking the hand, stayed in the game, and was diagnosed with a bruise after negative X-rays. He said that Wednesday he felt comfortable throwing and gripping the ball, and he did not miss time.
Most of his significant NFL injuries have been to the lower body, including a dislocated kneecap in 2019, high-ankle sprains in the 2022 playoffs and December 2024, and a torn ACL in December 2025 that ended his season. The key updates are how the elbow holds up in the second half, the Chiefs’ diagnosis, whether imaging is ordered, and whether he practices this week ahead of Atlanta.
