Patrick Mahomes thanks God for healing ankle as Chiefs head to Super Bowl
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is crediting God for healing his ankle so he could help his team advance to Super Bowl LVII with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Sunday.
Speaking in an interview with CBS immediately following his team's 23-20 victory, Mahomes declared, "I want to thank God, man."
"He healed my body this week to battle through that. He gave me the strength to be out here," the 27-year-old said, referring to the high ankle sprain he suffered in the Jan. 21 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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When talking to reporters Wednesday, Mahomes reported that his ankle was "doing good," adding that he had gone through a "few days of treatment" and "a few days of rehab" before returning to the practice field.
QB Patrick Mahomes is questionable to return with an ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/vteCARcNDG
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 21, 2023
An update from @PatrickMahomes: pic.twitter.com/QD2h0MfJJ4
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 25, 2023
After the game, Mahomes took to social media to thank Julie Frymeyer for her efforts in helping his ankle recover throughout the week. Mahomes' praise for Frymeyer came in response to a tweet from the Chiefs' Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder, who noted that she "designed and executed the rehab" that the football star went through leading up to Sunday's game.
Julie WAS the reason i was the guy i was on the field today! It takes everyone but she lead the charge all week!!! Now let’s get Super Bowl ready!! https://t.co/glPKlL9Qz3
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 30, 2023
Mahomes' comments aren't the first time the athlete has credited God for his success in the NFL.
In 2019, as he won the Most Valuable Player Award at the NFL Honors ceremony, Mahomes proclaimed, "God is amazing!" In the days leading up to 2020's Super Bowl LIV, which the Chiefs ended up winning, Mahomes told a local news outlet that "faith has always been big with me."
"Obviously, I want to win every game, but I'm glorifying him every single time I'm out there," he added. "As long as I'm doing everything the right way and the way that he would want me to do it, then I can walk off the field with my head held high and be able to be the man that I am."
In 2018, Mahomes said that growing up in the church helps a professional athlete "know why you are playing the game and Who you are doing it for."
The Chiefs' will face Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, which will occur at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
In his postgame interview Sunday, Mahomes described the Eagles as a "great football team." Explaining that he had "watched them all year long," Mahomes predicted that "it's going to be a great challenge for us."
Heading into the playoffs, the Chiefs and the Eagles had the best regular season records of their respective conferences, finishing with 14-3 records. The Feb. 12 game will mark Mahomes' third appearance in a Super Bowl.
A victory for the Chiefs would be the second Super Bowl win for Mahomes. An Eagles win would make 2023 the first time the team took home the top prize since their victory over the New England Patriots in 2018's Super Bowl LII.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
