KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes played with turf toe in Sunday’s AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills.
Turf toe is the sprain of the ligaments around the big toe.
“Those ligaments are supposed to stretch. But when they stretch too much, that’s where you can get injury,” Truman Medical Center Sports Medicine Physician, Dr. Margaret Gibson told WDAF-TV.
Gibson says one of the best ways to heal turf toe is to rest. Recovery time can sometimes last weeks and may require surgery.
But right now, this isn’t an option for Mahomes, as the Chiefs fight for a spot in the Super Bowl. According to a FOX Sports report, Mahomes is playing with special orthotics.
“Depending on the player or position, an injury like turf toe can definitely last longer than a few weeks. He obviously has to have really great movement, he has to be really quick on the balls of his feet. So that really stresses that area a lot,” Gibson said.
Mahomes sustained the toe injury during the Chiefs divisional game against the Cleveland Browns.
