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During his college career, Patrick Mahomes has been diagnosed with two concussions, though there is some controversy about the exact number. The first came while playing for Texas Tech in 2014. The concussion occurred before Texas Tech’s bye week and Mahomes was able to play two weeks later without missing a game. [1]
The second concussion that received more scrutiny was in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Browns. The Chiefs held on to win despite Mahomes’ absence and Mahomes cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol before the AFC Championship. [2]
Key Takeaways
- Mahomes has had two concussions but was able to play in his team’s next game both times.
- It was suspected he may have suffered a third concussion, but he cleared the NFL’s protocol despite taking a hard hit to the head.
- While Mahomes has never missed an entire game due to a concussion, he missed several weeks during the 2019 season due to a knee injury.
There’s the possibility Mahomes suffered a third concussion earlier that season against the Titans. And while Mahomes was removed from the game, he cleared concussion protocol and played the following week. [3]
Texas Tech
Mahomes’ first diagnosis of concussion came on November 1, 2014, against the Texas Longhorns. Mahomes was starting his collegiate career, taking over for starter Davis Webb, who’d been injured the previous week. Mahomes took a huge hit on a Run/Pass Option play, fumbled, and didn’t return. Texas went on to win the game. [4]
Mahomes was diagnosed with a Grade 1 Cranial Concussion, the mildest of the three concussion types. [5]
Symptoms can include dizziness, headache, nausea, and memory loss. But in most cases, people who suffer a Grade 1 Concussion can return to normal activities within a few days.
Texas Tech had a bye the following week, giving Mahomes two full weeks to get healthy. He returned in Texas Tech’s next game against Oklahoma, throwing for 393 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-30 loss. [6]
Did He Have One or Two (or Zero) Concussions During the 2020/2021 season?
Mahomes was able to avoid any head trauma during the rest of his collegiate career and first two years as an NFL starter. But with the Chiefs looking to defend their Super Bowl title, Mahomes went down in the third quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
I love football, but man that’s scary to see. If you look closely though, Mahomes’ head doesn’t seem to hit the turf that hard, or maybe not at all. And while his neck gets twisted in a way that has to hurt, that doesn’t seem like the sort of play that should result in a concussion. Nevertheless, Mahomes was placed in concussion protocol and was soon announced out for the remainder of the game. [7]
Mahomes passed all the concussion tests, and while his official medical history still has the injury listed as another Grade 1 concussion, there seems to be some speculation about that diagnosis still. [8]
The other potential concussion from the 2020/2021 season came in a 27-3 loss to the Titans. Mahomes had the worst game of his professional career and was pulled in the fourth quarter after a couple of big hits. Again, Mahomes cleared concussion protocol and could have returned to the game. But with the Titans well ahead, Coach Andy Reid opted to rest his superstar quarterback. [9]
Other Serious Injuries
Besides his concussion scares, Mahomes has had one other serious injury that actually forced him to miss several games. This came in 2019 in his second year as a starter. The video is not for the faint of heart.
Despite fears that he may have torn an ACL or suffered a similar injury that would require several months of rehab, Mahomes was diagnosed with a dislocated kneecap. A brutal and queasy injury, but with a much shorter recovery timeline. [10]
Mahomes missed the next two weeks of action with the Chiefs going 1-1 in his absence. The Chiefs lost to the Titans in his week 10 return despite Mahomes throwing for 446 yards and 3 touchdowns. [11]
References
- https://wreckemred.com/2015/02/22/texas-tech-football-defining-moment-no-4-2014-season/
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/202101170kan.htm
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32467821/patrick-mahomes-clears-concussion-protocol-chiefs-struggles-continue-blowout-loss
- https://wreckemred.com/2015/02/22/texas-tech-football-defining-moment-no-4-2014-season/
- https://www.carrushealth.com/2020/02/07/signs-and-symptoms-of-the-3-different-grades-of-concussion/#:~:text=Signs%20of%20a%20Grade%201,the%20symptoms%20have%20fully%20passed.
- https://texastech.com/sports/football/stats/2014/oklahoma/boxscore/3218
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401220400
- https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/did_patrick_mahomes_actually_suffer_a_concussion/s1_127_33869732
- https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32467821/patrick-mahomes-clears-concussion-protocol-chiefs-struggles-continue-blowout-loss
- https://www.draftsharks.com/fantasy/injury-history/patrick-mahomes/7746
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201911100oti.htm
