Chiefs called on renowned baseball doctors to assess Patrick Mahomes’ elbow injury scare, NFL insider reveals

The Kansas City Chiefs did some outside-the-box thinking after star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a concerning elbow injury.

After last week’s game against the New York Jets, Mahomes was listed on the team’s injury report as questionable for this week’s contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

In order to make sure he was cleared, the Chiefs’ medical staff called in experts from two baseball teams who specialize in elbow injuries, according to ESPN. This is because elbow injuries are more common in baseball than football.

The team called Dr Vincent Key, the head team physician for the Kansas City Royals and a specialist in Tommy John surgery and newer UCL repair techniques. They also called Dr Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers‘ physician and an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in elbow and shoulder injuries.

Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder contacted Key shortly after the team’s win to review Mahomes’ scans and said the team ‘got away with one.’

Key then recommended getting a second opinion, which is when the team turned to Meister.

The Chiefs consulted baseball doctors for advice on Patrick Mahomes’ elbow injury

The team sought opinions from Dr Vincent Key (L) of the Kansas City Royals and Dr Keith Meister (R) of the Texas Rangers to review Mahomes’ scans

Mahomes only suffered a minor injury and eventually recovered to play against the Falcons

Both doctors examined his scans and came to the conclusion that Mahomes only suffered a muscle strain and a ‘very small sprain of his UCL,’ according to ESPN.

The prognosis soothed some worries from the Chiefs, who feared a more serious injury for their superstar.

A week prior, Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a similar-looking injury to Mahomes – which turned out to be a torn UCL that required season-ending surgery. 

Thankfully for the Chiefs, Mahomes was fine, took most of the first-team reps in practice this week and started against the Atlanta Falcons.

He completed 22-of-35 passes for 348 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-13 demolition of the Falcons.

The Chiefs rose to 7-2 on the season and are now in a tie for the lead in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos.