KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Quarterback Patrick Mahomes declared himself fit to play on Sunday, when he will return to the Kansas City Chiefs' starting lineup for their game against the Tennessee Titans.
"I'm in a good spot,'' Mahomes said after the Chiefs concluded their practice week on Friday. "I'm ready to get out there.''
The Chiefs tweeted the news on Friday.
#MVPat returns 🚀 pic.twitter.com/MvaDGvaBis
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 8, 2019
Mahomes hasn't played since dislocating his right kneecap in an Oct. 17 game against the Denver Broncos. Mahomes hasn't missed a practice but returned as a full participant and as the starting quarterback for the first time this week. He said doctors told him at the start of the week he had a chance to play against the Titans.
"I knew I had a chance once I talked to those doctors and they said as long as I was functioning well, moving well, I could play this week,'' Mahomes said. "Coach [Andy] Reid still wanted me to take it day by day. I went out here in practice and took the reps and I haven't had any pain or any setbacks, and so as long as we keep going with that I'm glad to be back out there.''
Mahomes said he didn't feel he was at risk of reinjury by playing on Sunday.
"Hopefully it was kind of a fluke thing,'' he said. "I'll always be I guess a tad bit higher [at risk] than the regular person, but whenever you're out on the football field, there's always a chance of injury.''
He also said he felt he wouldn't be limited physically on Sunday.
"That's what we tested out this week especially,'' Mahomes said. "We put me on the run, and I threw it across my body and did all the stuff I've grown to do as I've been in the NFL and my whole career. I didn't have any pain. I was still able to do it. I wanted to make sure I was able to do that before I got back on that field.''
Without Mahomes, the Chiefs went on to beat the Broncos. With veteran Matt Moore starting at quarterback, they've split their two games since, losing to the Green Bay Packers and beating the Minnesota Vikings.
"We need him back,'' wide receiver Sammy Watkins said. "His energy affected all of us. Him being on that field has definitely been needed. All week we've been practicing hard. Every practice has been perfect.
"For us, it's just to play fast, be in the right area and literally for our offensive line to let nobody touch him. I think that's going to happen this week. He had a great week of practice. He's been practicing well and we've been looking really good with him.''
Titans coach Mike Vrabel said earlier in the week he expected Mahomes to play after seeing Mahomes celebrate the Chiefs' winning field goal last week against the Vikings.
"That was a pretty good jump there at the end of the game,'' Vrabel said. "He got pretty good air.''
Said Mahomes, "I went out there and I saw the whole team coming behind [kicker Harrison Butker] and I kind of realized I was going to be at the bottom of the pile if he got tackled, so I got out of the way as quickly as I could.''