Patrick Mahomes Toe Surgery: Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist here to provide NFL injury analysis. Read his Patrick Mahomes Injury Watch for the NFL Offseason.
Patrick Mahomes Injury: Left Plantar Plate repair
After all the worrying and speculation about Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ “concussion," the long-term issue that ultimately hampered him was the turf toe injury sustained in the Divisional Round of the 2020-2021 NFL playoffs.
He played through two more games with the injury with it noticeably hindering him against the Buccaneers. On February 9, it was officially reported that Mahomes would require surgery for the plantar plate injury. On February 10, reports later indicated that Mahomes’s surgery was successful.
Mahomes did suffer a turf toe injury but it was a significant enough injury to the area that it tore the plantar plate which requires surgery to correct. To clarify: Turf toe is a hyperextension of the great toe resulting in a sprain that creates instability within the joint. A plantar plate rupture is a tearing of the metatarsophalangeal joint, leading to instability during pushing off the foot.
Patrick Mahomes Plantar Plate Repair: Detailed view of plantar plate injury similar to Mahomes’ on his left foot. (Premiersportsmedicine.com.au)
The plantar plate is roughly around the balls of the feet at the base of the metatarsophalangeal joint of each toe. This connects to the plantar fascia to allow for the toes to extend while keeping the foot rigid for effective push off. Mahomes played with a carbon foot orthosis and tape to the area to ensure stability, but it’s not known if playing through it made it worse or if the original injury was that severe.
Looking at the available research, this is a surgery that takes roughly six months to fully recover from which would put him into early August to be 100 percent. There is a realistic chance that Mahomes starts on the PUP list so as to not rush him back, though it’s far from an absolute. However, when he returns, he will be able to run and perform all his football activities as he would normally prior to the injury. There doesn’t appear to be any research indicating a recurrence following the procedure, though it’s possible that he could suffer a future injury with a similar mechanism of injury.
To perform at the highest level that he is accustomed to and not have setbacks, it is not worth rushing him back as he is the unquestioned starter. It does help that he is having Dr. Robert Anderson, who has become the go-to guy to repair any foot or ankle issues in the NFL, perform the surgery.
Patrick Mahomes Surgery: Betting Impact
Do not hesitate to put money on the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl next year, currently at +500 according to PointsBet. Mahomes should be fully healthy by the time Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season kicks off. This injury was the reality of a physical game and the types of injuries that players play through in order to achieve greatness.
Kyle Trimble is a licensed physical therapist who also works as an injury spotter for Dr. David Chao. Kyle has extensive experience in outpatient orthopedics, skilled nursing, acute care hospital, and home care. He’s also a member of Bills Mafia and runs the website Banged Up Bills.
Disclaimer from Kyle: My opinions are my own. Any thoughts I have on the injuries are based on media reports, my knowledge of the injury, and speculation based on the information currently available including video and print media. This information is subject to change based on the information released by the team.
Now that you’ve read our Patrick Mahomes toe plantar plate repair surgery injury report:
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