The Albany Gazette - Determined Mahomes says ankle injury has improved

Mahomes suffered the injury in the divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he was forced out of the game for a spell, but battled through the pain to earn a third appearance in the big game.

While still showing signs of the injury, Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns and was able to make the crucial run to set up Harrison Butker's game-winning 45-yard field goal.

There has been no doubt that Mahomes will be ready to start against the Eagles but questions remain about how mobile he will be and whether he will be to make his trademark plays on the run.

"You won't know until you get out there in the game (but) I'm gonna push it. I'll try to leave it all on the line. I think you all saw that in the last game that I played," he said.

"But it's about relying on your teammates -- and I got a lot of great teammates around me -- and not trying to do too much. But I'll definitely be in a better spot than I was last game," he said.

Mahomes tasted Super Bowl success in 2019 when he led the Chiefs to victory over the San Francisco 49ers but then tasted defeat the following season with a loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He said there was no doubt which of those experiences was the bigger motivator.

"The win is amazing. It's one of the best moments of your entire life. You take away all the positives from that. But that loss, that stings. That motivates you for years," he said.

"What it's done for me is it's motivated me to be back in this game again. I want to make sure that I can have that winning feeling and not that losing one because that losing feeling is one you'll never forget."

(B.Hartmann--BBZ)