Patrick Mahomes Deferring to Andy Reid on Status for Week 18 vs. Broncos

After he helped the Chiefs take down the Steelers on Christmas Day, Patrick Mahomes outlined his plan for KC's regular-season finale in Week 18.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Thanks to a Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs are in a fantastic position for the next few weeks. Andy Reid's team officially clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC on Christmas Day, securing home-field advantage and some added benefits as well.

Kansas City, for certain, doesn't have to play in the Wild Card round of the postseason. That gives key players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones and others some time to rest ahead of a key January run.

Following Wednesday's victory in Pittsburgh, Reid spoke about how the bye will help various members of the team.

"I think it will definitely help with some of the guys that are banged up," Reid said. "To get guys back and freshened up a little bit, I think, will be a positive for us."

Additionally, having the one-seed locked up makes Week 18's contest against the Denver Broncos far less important in terms of outcomes. That leaves the door open for injured players to avoid aggravating current ailments or accumulating new ones in the regular-season finale. While Mahomes was optimistic about managing his high-ankle sprain entering Week 17, there's a case to be made that a multi-week break could be the best thing for the two-time NFL MVP.

How does Mahomes feel about the Denver game? When asked if he's going to play, Mahomes said he'd prepare as such but is leaving the decision up to Reid.

"That's completely up to Coach (Reid)," Mahomes said. "I'll prepare regardless, either way. Denver is probably going to be a playoff team regardless, so I'm going to prepare for them like I'm going to start and if Coach wants me to go out there and play, I'll go out there and play. If he doesn't, I'll sit back. I have full trust that Coach Reid knows what he's doing, and he's done it for a long time."

Given that his wife Brittany is still pregnant with their third child, Mahomes thinks the extra time off could come in handy.

"I told my wife, my pregnant wife, I was gonna get her the No. 1 seed so we can go have that baby, so we got the one-seed," Mahomes said in an on-field postgame interview.

"I told my wife I was gonna get her the No. 1 seed so we can go have that baby." ❤️@PatrickMahomes | @BrittanyLynne | #NFLonNetflix pic.twitter.com/0Ns5fLtEwh

— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2024

It doesn't take a trip too far back in the time machine to find an example of Mahomes sitting out a late-season game with not a ton to play for. After the Baltimore Ravens clinched the one-seed on New Year's Eve last year, Kansas City sat Mahomes and others in their finale versus the Los Angeles Chargers. They ended up winning that game by a final score of 13-12, finishing an 11-6 regular season and helping preserve momentum en route to a second Super Bowl title in a row.

Only time – and perhaps Reid – will tell if Mahomes will experience a similar fate this time around. Reading between the lines suggests that it's certainly on the table.

Read More: Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 29-10 Win Over the Pittsburgh Steelers