The Chiefs will rest some starters in Week 17. Yes, maybe even Patrick Mahomes.
Yes, they will rest.
The Chiefs will use Week 17 as an opportunity to give key players some time off, a reward for already securing the top seed — and accompanying first-round bye — in the AFC.
A day after refraining from commenting on which direction they might go, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he is “leaning in that direction,” falling in line with decisions he has made in past seasons.
“I’ve been down this road a couple of times before and had opportunities to rest guys. We’ll do that. I mean, we’ll rest up some guys,” Reid said.
Reid didn’t identify which players that would entail — those decisions will come after early-week conversations with the training staff, position coaches and general manager Brett Veach — but it appears Sunday will include a heavy dose of backup quarterback Chad Henne.
Reid also mentioned a chance to offer a break to players who have played extensively this season, using wide receiver Tyreek Hill as an example.
But the big decision comes at quarterback, where Patrick Mahomes has started every game this season.
Until Sunday?
“I can’t give you all the information, but there’s a good chance you might see Chad somewhere in that game — if not the beginning, somewhere in there,” Reid said. “But it might be the beginning. I’m not telling you it’s not the beginning. I’m sorting through all of it.”
The Chiefs (14-1) are locked into the No. 1 seed, which under the new playoff format includes the lone bye in the conference. The remaining six playoff qualifiers in the AFC will play on Wild Card weekend.
So those who do not play Sunday against the Chargers will have a 20- or 21-day break between games, depending on whether the Chiefs play on the Saturday or Sunday of the Divisional Round.
“I’m confident that we can do it the right way,” Reid said. “I’m not worried about that. Getting guys freshened up, I think it will be a positive for you. These guys aren’t going to forget the plays. We’ve had a number of plays on both sides of the ball. They won’t forget how to play. But I think in some cases a little bit of rest helps.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 12:55 PM with the headline "The Chiefs will rest some starters in Week 17. Yes, maybe even Patrick Mahomes.."