Andy Reid makes clear statement over Patrick Mahomes future after Chiefs head coach leaves QB out of NFL Week 18
In Week 18 of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes will not play.
Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, has stated that he will not be starting his star quarterback.
With a 15-1 record thus far in the regular season, the Chiefs have already secured their spot in the Super Bowl.
They will remain the top seed in the AFC regardless of another victory or defeat.
If the Chiefs advance that far in the AFC Championship, Patrick Mahomes and the team will have home-field advantage.
Due to this advantage, the club would be better off resting its starters and possibly suffering a defeat than playing every player and running the danger of suffering a serious injury.
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Reid gave reporters an explanation of the choice to include Mahomes in the group that is taking a last week off.
His words, “It wasn’t a hard decision,”
“I’ve experienced that previously. I am therefore not very concerned about [losing rhythm].
“It provides the other men with a chance to develop. The starting quarterback will be Carson.
“We ll kind of work things from there about who goes and who doesn t go.”
Several more well-known names were also listed as limited or not attending this week’s Chiefs practice.
Trent McDuffie, Mike Pennell, Chris Jones, and Mecole Hardman were all limited.
Jawaan Taylor, Isaiah Pacheco, and Chris Jones did not practice.
The AFC as a whole is greatly impacted by the Chiefs resting their starters, even if it has little bearing on their playoff standing.
The Chiefs game is crucial for all three of the remaining teams vying for the No. 7 seed in the AFC portion of the playoffs.
The Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and Denver Broncos are those teams.
Week 18 schedule changes
The full schedule for Week 18 of the regular season has been released by the NFL.
With everything on the line, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings will square off in prime time on Sunday night.
The victor of Sunday’s match at 8:20 p.m. ET will be named the NFC North champions and the first seed in the playoffs, while the loser will have to make do with a wild card berth.
ESPN and ABC will broadcast a doubleheader on Saturday to kick off Week 18.
At 4:30 p.m. ET, the Baltimore Ravens play the Cleveland Browns, and at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Cincinnati Bengals visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Sunday, eight games will start at 1 pm ET.
At 4:25 PM ET, there will be five more, including the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos game.
The Broncos have the easiest route. To qualify for the playoffs, they simply need to defeat the Chiefs’ reserves.
The Bengals and Dolphins require more assistance to gain entry.
Miami needs to defeat the Broncos against the Chiefs then defeat the New York Jets this week.
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The Bengals’ path is the most difficult. The Dolphins and Broncos must lose their games, and they must defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend.
All eyes will be on the Chiefs this weekend to decide the last playoff place, even though Mahomes won’t be playing.
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