Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ night ended with a patella dislocation after a quarterback sneak Thursday against the Broncos.

By video, it was clear his kneecap was dislocated (out of place) to the lateral (outside) of his knee.

Thankfully, this is not a knee dislocation and there no nerve, artery or ACL injury.

However, it is still significant.


Television replays showed his knee locked, and he could not bend or straighten it. A reduction maneuver was required in which the Chiefs medical staff put the patella back into place.

Amazingly, Mahomes walked off. But that doesn’t mean this is not a big deal.

× Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ night ended with a patella dislocation after a quarterback sneak Thursday against the Broncos.

The injury is a tear of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL). Most times for professional athletes, this requires surgery, as the kneecap becomes unstable.It is possible to try to rehab and return this season with a brace and delay surgery until the offseason, but that is not a plan that comes with guarantees.


It is possible to return in three to four weeks after swelling subsides and strength returns. But even with a brace, the risk of re-dislocation is high, and the risk of subluxaton (slipping transiently out of groove) is even higher.

Trent Williams tried to play through this injury and couldn’t. Matt Stafford had a similar injury in 2009 and returned in three weeks. He did have surgery in the offseason. But Stafford is more of a pocket QB. Mahomes would have to alter his game to improve his chances to finish the season without surgery.

Fortunately, the other ligaments are fine.

If Mahomes opts for surgery, the recovery timeline is 6-9 months. He should make a full recovery, assuming he did not suffer any significant articular cartilage damage.


Knowing how football players like Mahomes are, he is going to want to return to play.

Know how football management thinks, the Chiefs will want to protect their superstar long term.

Mahomes is a young player.

Returning would be admirable, on the surface.


But imagine if Mahoms doesn’t have articular cartilage damage now, meaning he could make a return at 100 percent next season but decided to play and he re-dislocated the knee and this time knocked off a chunk of articular cartilage? That could affect his career in the long term.

The Chiefs and Mahomes will have to weigh these factors. From afar, I think he will definitely need surgery and that it might come sooner than later.