Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirms he'll return for 2023 season following rumours he'd retire after Super Bowl LVII; after their 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, he said: "I look in the mirror and I'm old. My heart, though, is young... if they'll have me, I'll stick around"
Tuesday 14 February 2023 14:08, UK
Patrick Mahomes says he'll be ready to go for the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason programme ahead of the 2023 NFL season, with his injured ankle just needing rest and rehab - adding that only his golf game will suffer.
Mahomes first injured the ankle in the Chiefs' divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in January, was hobbled by it during their AFC Championship win over the Cincinnati Bengals a fortnight ago and then aggravated it late in the first half of their Super Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes limped into the locker room to end the first half after his ankle was rolled up when chased down and tackled by TJ Edwards on a quarterback scramble.
However, playing on despite the injury, Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and scrambled 26 yards on the game-winning drive as he won his second Super Bowl title and second Super Bowl MVP award.
"The only time that I had the real hurt of the ankle was when he when I got tackled, it kind of rolled to the outside a little bit," Mahomes said.
"When you had that high ankle sprain, when any little tweak like that happens, it just really magnifies it.
"Luckily we were able to get in at half-time and get some new tape on there and some movement to try to get some mobility back.
"I was always going to play through, but I'm glad I get a little bit of rest on it now."
Mahomes added: "We will continue the rehab, continue the treatment that we were doing and just give it some rest, trying to make sure that when we get to OTAs (Organised Team Activities), I'm ready to go.
"The only thing that might take a hit is my golf game, so I have to take a few weeks off of that."
Mahomes also spoke glowingly about Andy Reid, who became the 14th head coach in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls - and doing so against his former team, the Eagles.
"We had a new team and a lot of young players, and we did a great job of getting a lot of great players that contributed for us in this game especially," Mahomes said. "And I always say as long as Andy Reid is the coach we're always gonna have a chance.
"I'll keep the big guy around a couple more years at least and we'll try to be back in this game as many times as possible."
Reid, at 64 years and 330 days old on Sunday, became the fourth-oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl, according to NFL Research but, despite reports pre-game that he could be set to retire, Reid confirmed that he will return for an 11th season in charge of the Chiefs in 2023.
"I think I'm gonna hang around," Reid said. "I look in the mirror and I'm old. My heart, though, is young.
"I still enjoy doing what I'm doing. I got asked that 50 times here. Finally I just go, 'Whatever, man. Whatever.'
"I'm good with what I'm doing right now. Listen, if they'll have me, I'll stick around."
Mahomes was pleased to hear that Reid was staying put, adding in his Monday press conference: "He has every right to retire. He's done so many great things for so long, but I can tell by how much he enjoys this that that's not anywhere in the near future.
"I know that we'll have conversations before that moment happens. Whenever that time is right for him, we'll embrace it.
"But I'm glad that he's sticking around because we feel like the job's not finished."
