Patrick Mahomes played through a hit to his arm in the Chiefs' 35-12 win and reportedly has a clean MRI. Here is what is known and the Harrison Butker question.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took a hard hit to his throwing arm in the second quarter of Sunday's 35-12 win over the New York Jets, played on, and reportedly came out of a postgame MRI with no major injury. As of the night of Nov. 8, 2026, that is the whole medical picture: a good sign, not a final word. Coach Andy Reid is expected to give an update at his Monday news conference, according to KSHB.
The same afternoon at Arrowhead also left a second question hanging over the Chiefs (6-2): what to do about kicker Harrison Butker.
Is Patrick Mahomes' elbow injury serious?
Early signs say no. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday night that Mahomes' scans showed no major injury, and The Athletic cited a team source confirming it. The team itself has not released a formal diagnosis, and Mahomes said he still planned more testing on Monday.
Here is what happened. Late in the second quarter, Jets edge rusher David Bailey caught Mahomes' arm as he wound up to throw. It was a strip-sack, and Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV recovered the fumble, according to Sports Illustrated. Mahomes walked to the sideline with his right arm hanging, then threw a few warmup passes and came back for the next possession without missing an offensive snap, per ESPN.
Reid called it an injury to the "elbow region." Mahomes said that once he could throw, he figured it was muscle, not ligament. He also admitted the scare landed differently this year. He tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee last December and missed the final three games of last season.
"If I'm able to play, I'm going to play," Mahomes said after the game. He added that his arm did not feel right coming out of halftime and loosened up as the game went on. The thing to watch this week is swelling and fluid, which he said he needs gone "so I can be ready to go from the first snap next week."
What did the Chiefs do on the field?
Quite a bit, which is why the injury felt even more out of place. Per ESPN's box score, Mahomes finished 23 of 31 for 242 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and both scoring passes went to running back Kenneth Walker III. Walker also ran 18 times for 102 yards and a third touchdown. Travis Kelce and Emmett Johnson added short rushing scores.
The win ended a two-game skid that included a 20-3 loss at Seattle and a 28-24 loss at Denver on Nov. 1. The Jets fell to 2-7.
What is happening with Harrison Butker?
Butker missed from 56 yards as the first half wound down. The Jets were flagged for offside, which moved him up to 51 yards, and he missed that one too. Only the second miss counts in the stats. Fans booed him off the field, according to KCTV and USA Today.
It was his seventh missed field goal of the season, and KCTV put his conversion rate at 63.2%. He is 12 for 19 this year, and ESPN's box score has him perfect on five extra points. The Chiefs signed former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad on Oct. 28. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub said last week that "Butker's our kicker."
Asked about Butker afterward, Reid said, "I'm not making any decisions right now today," and promised to address it through the week, per KMBC. Butker told reporters he feels confident and has to "make them go in."
What to watch next
- Reid's Monday news conference, for any change to Mahomes' status or the kicker spot.
- The Chiefs' practice reports Wednesday through Friday, where a limited tag on Mahomes would be the thing to look for.
- Kansas City at Atlanta on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Our take: A clean scan after a hit like that is good news, but two details keep us cautious. Mahomes himself said his arm felt off in the third quarter, and the team has stayed quiet on specifics. The kicker question is the more likely headline this week. A practice-squad kicker is already on the roster, and the offense scored 35 points without needing a field goal. This is our read, not reporting.
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