Patrick Mahomes Injury: Out vs Bucs, Fields Starts

Patrick Mahomes injury news Saturday is that he will not play. Head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes (knee) is out of the Kansas City Chiefs' preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reported, and FOX Sports carried it. Justin Fields starts. Fields took first-team reps Thursday after Mahomes went later in the order, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reported, and Reid mapped him for a quarter and a half in Tampa.

Reid is being cautious after Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee last December. CBS Sports and FOX Sports both said there have been no reported setbacks. He was cleared for 11-on-11s at the start of camp. He remains on track to start the regular-season opener Sept. 14 against the Denver Broncos. This is the second straight exhibition he will watch in street clothes.

Patrick Mahomes injury: Reid sits him, Fields starts vs Bucs

"The way the quarterbacks will play this week, we'll go a quarter and a half with Justin, a quarter and a half with Garrett and Chris will take the fourth quarter," Reid said Thursday, Sports Illustrated reported. Garrett Nussmeier is the seventh-round rookie. Chris Oladokun closes. Reid added, "It'll be somewhere in that area. Don't hold me to the play on that, but going in, that's a rough itinerary." Fields started the preseason opener against the Rams and went 4-of-4 for 41 yards plus nine rushing yards on two carries, Newsweek reported. He only played the first quarter that night. Saturday he plays into the second.

Arrowhead Addict listed Mahomes among eight players ruled out for Preseason Week 2. Reid's line on the quarterback was simple: clean bill of health, still no snaps. The torn knee ligaments ended last season. Sitting two preseason games is the plan, not a new MRI. FOX Sports' game preview repeated McMullen: Mahomes (knee) will not play Saturday.

Who else is out, and what Saturday actually is

Arrowhead Addict's ruled-out list besides Mahomes: wide receiver Jeff Caldwell (hyperextended knee), linebacker Jack Cochrane, safety Chamarri Conner (knee), defensive end Ashton Gillotte (plantar fascia), wide receiver Jimmy Holiday (quad/groin), tackle Josh Simmons (back), and guard Trey Smith (hip). ESPN's Nate Taylor had Smith, Simmons, and Gillotte held out with Fields starting into the second quarter. Newsweek matched those three names. The game is Saturday, Aug. 22, 6:30 p.m. CT at Raymond James Stadium, the Chiefs' site said.

The only date that matters is Sept. 14. Reid has not committed to playing Mahomes in the preseason finale Aug. 28 against Seattle. Fields gets the live looks. Nussmeier gets the same allotment. Mahomes gets the brace, the practice reps, and another Saturday off. This is the same preseason injury week that already sent Bo Nix back onto the field in Denver. Kansas City's star is healthy enough to practice and not healthy enough, in Reid's math, to take a preseason hit.

Patrick Mahomes injury FAQ

Will Patrick Mahomes play vs the Buccaneers on Aug. 22? No. Andy Reid told Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site that Mahomes (knee) will not play, FOX Sports reported.

Who starts at quarterback for the Chiefs on Saturday? Justin Fields. He took first-team reps Thursday and Reid has him for about a quarter and a half, per FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, and Nate Taylor.

What is the Patrick Mahomes injury? Torn ACL and LCL in his left knee from last December. Reid is holding him out of a second straight preseason game with no reported setbacks, CBS Sports said. Week 1 vs Denver is still the target.