The Kansas City Chiefs consulted renowned baseball specialists last week to evaluate the injured right elbow of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, ESPN Deportes reported.
Kansas City checked every medical angle after Mahomes sustained the injury during the first half of a game against the New York Jets on November 8, 2026. Rick Burkholder, vice president of sports medicine and performance for the Chiefs, reached out to team physicians who hold deep ties to Major League Baseball. The organization sought second and third opinions on the imaging scans to protect a franchise asset valued at 500 million dollars.
The team turned to baseball doctors because elbow injuries occur with much greater frequency in that sport than in football. Medical staff diagnosed Mahomes with a muscle strain and what one source described to ESPN Deportes as “a very mild ulnar collateral ligament sprain.”
Dr. Key serves as the head physician for the Kansas City Royals and specializes in modern ulnar collateral ligament repairs alongside Tommy John surgeries.
Following his review, Dr. Key recommended that another prominent specialist examine the imaging. Los Chiefs contactaron al Dr. Keith Meister. Dr. Meister works as an orthopedic consultant for the Texas Rangers and holds renown as one of baseball’s top elbow and shoulder surgeons.
Both physicians acted quickly to study the scans. They agreed that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player suffered primarily a muscle strain and said that the damage could have been significantly worse. The Chiefs maintained internal concern until both outside experts returned their evaluations, knowing that Mahomes stayed in the game against the Jets and has a history of playing through injuries.
All consulted doctors determined that it remained safe for Mahomes to return to action. He experienced discomfort and underwent treatment throughout the week, but participated in every throw during practice sessions. The team expects him to start against the Atlanta Falcons.
The medical scare for Kansas City unfolded just as Arizona Cardinals quarterback Gardner Minshew II suffered a nearly identical injury during the same weekend. Minshew sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament in a play similar to the one where Mahomes was hurt. Sources indicated that Minshew expects to undergo season-ending surgery.
While the Cardinals prepare to lose Minshew for the remainder of the year, the Chiefs cleared Mahomes following evaluations from Burkholder, Key, and Meister. Mahomes is scheduled to lead the Kansas City offense against Atlanta.
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