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Patrick Mahomes suffers injury scare in Chiefs' win against Buccaneers

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Patrick Mahomes expressed relief after the game after suffering an ankle injury in the Kansas City Chiefs' 30-24 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I kind of awkwardly rolled my ankle a little bit. I think it hurt more because it's the same ankle I hurt last week, so it scared me a little bit. But once I took a breath and calmed down a little bit, it wasn't that bad in the end,” Mahomes told reporters after the game.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Mahomes had to be helped off the field by the team's medical staff. The Chiefs' star quarterback was injured while making a shot put-style touchdown pass to running back Samaje Perine for a 7-yard touchdown. Mahomes took an awkward step and his left ankle appeared to give way as he went to throw.

Perine caught the ball in the end zone, but all attention was on Mahomes, who remained on the ground in obvious pain. The Chiefs' franchise quarterback was eventually escorted off the field by the team's medical staff.

Mahomes was briefly treated in the Chiefs' medical tent, came out to work out his tender ankle and returned on Kansas City's next offensive series without ever missing a snap.

“After the doctors checked it out, came back and did the drops again, (Andy Reid) let me go back on the field,” Mahomes said.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters that he was considering taking Mahomes out of the game before he was sure the quarterback was OK.

“He might have the loosest ankles in America. I mean, it’s ridiculous how he can come back from these things,” Reid said. “I told him I was going to take him out and he probably wanted to fight me. He’s a tough kid.”

After a loud ovation when he returned to the field on the ensuing series, Mahomes engineered a 15-play, 78-yard touchdown that gave Kansas City a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left in the fourth quarter. The drive was capped when Mahomes threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins.

The Bucs were able to force overtime. But Mahomes led the Chiefs with a game-winning, 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in overtime, improving the club to 8-0.

Mahomes scored .291 and three touchdowns in the overtime win. The Mahomes-led Chiefs are the sixth reigning Super Bowl champions, starting the regular season 8-0.

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The Chiefs quarterback appeared on Kansas City's Week 9 injury report with an ankle injury but participated fully in practice. Mahomes famously battled another ankle injury in the 2022 postseason, when the team went to the Super Bowl.

Mahomes acknowledged that his ankle will likely be sore this week as Kansas City looks to extend its unbeaten streak in Week 10 against the Denver Broncos.

“Obviously I have a little bit of swelling (Tuesday),” Mahomes said. “But in a short week, you go in there, take care of it and get ready to play next week.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

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