Quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs fumbles the ball in the first half against the New York Jets on Nov. 8, 2026. (Photo by Amy Kontras/Getty Images)

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The Kansas City Chiefs’ 35-12 win against the New York Jets was ugly early, but it was nearly devastating.

With 1:40 left in the first half, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was hit by Jets rookie David Bailey, who beat right tackle Jaylon Moore, as he was in the midst of a throwing motion.

Jets defensive end Will McDonald recovered the fumble, but more significantly Mahomes’ throwing arm sagged due to his elbow being hit, and Chiefs Kingdom feared the season could be over for their star.

“It scares you in moments when you get some pains,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, it didn’t feel great.”

But Mahomes, who is known for his toughness in playing through high-ankle sprains and his speedy recovery after tearing his ACL, didn’t miss any time vs. the Jets. On the very next offensive play, Mahomes threw to tight end Travis Kelce for 12 yards and then even ran for seven yards on his second post-injury play.

“He’s a tough kid,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “If there’s any way he can come back from something, he’s coming back.”

When Mahomes was physically able to throw on the sideline, he figured he could go, and the Chiefs training staff worked on his right elbow during halftime.

Mahomes responded by completing 12-of-16 passes for 122 in a second half in which the Chiefs shut out the Jets 21-0.

“At the half I wasn’t throwing the ball the way I wanted to,” Mahomes said. “But as the game went on, and we continued to work through it, it kind of got warmed back up, and I thought I kind of started throwing the ball better.”

Losing Mahomes to injury — which happened when he suffered a season-ending knee injury during a lost 6-11 season last year — obviously would have been crushing.

The three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player is literally the league’s most valuable.

After signing an eight-year, $504.75 million contract extension this past summer, he now averages an NFL-high $63 million a year.

With that sizable income to his name, he’s been philanthropic toward Texas Tech, where he starred in college, donating to the Red Raiders’ football facility and in their quest to land student-athletes.

“I’ve done some helping out with NIL stuff,” he said.

But it was a former Red Raiders edge rusher, Bailey, who injured Mahomes. Call it Red Raider-on-Red Raider crime.

“He did that at Texas Tech a lot,” Mahomes said. “I saw that a lot on TV. I don’t like being the guy that’s getting hit.”

Fortunately, Mahomes could laugh off the injury, following his 23-of-31, 242-yard, two-touchdown day.

“Pat did some nice things,” Reid said, “even with the sore arm.”

After his postgame media obligations, Mahomes was set to undergo more medical testing. But there was no preliminary indication that he would miss time going forward.

“(It) will be important this week to kind of get the swelling and fluid out of it so I can be ready to go from the first snap next week,” Mahomes said. “I feel good now, but I’m sure I’ll be sore.”