If Tommy Townsend cannot play in Week 7, Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs’ backup punter vs. the Chargers

Through the first seven years of his NFL career, Patrick Mahomes has already accomplished so much. If he stopped playing after this season, he’d for sure be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The 28-year-old is a two-time league MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion, and two-time Super Bowl MVP. He’s also led the league in touchdowns twice and passing yards once. 

Ahead of Kansas City’s Week 7 matchup vs. the Chargers, punter Tommy Townsend is listed as questionable. He is dealing with a knee injury that also had him questionable in Week 6. The Chiefs’ backup punter this season is franchise QB Patrick Mahomes. Yes, you read that correctly. Mahomes is Kansas City’s emergency punter if Townsend is unavailable this Sunday.

Not only can he throw, but apparently Patrick Mahomes can kick too

I been trying to tell yall!!! https://t.co/PLEjjAGEPP

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) October 19, 2023

In Week 6, punter Tommy Townsend was questionable to play on TNF vs. the Broncos. He ended up being able to play and only needed to punt three times the entire game. Additionally, Townsend has only been asked to punt 18 times this season. That is 26 out of 32 for the least amount of punts in 2023.

Heading into Week 7 vs. the Chargers, Townsend is on the injury report again. At practice yesterday, the Chiefs’ special teams coordinator said the team does have a plan for their backup punter if Townsend is unavailable. Dave Toub told the media that Patrick Mahomes is their emergency punter if Townsend cannot play. There’s no footage of Mahomes punting in the NFL, but he was a punter in high school.

Go ahead and add another job title to Patrick Mahomes’ resume.

“We had a plan — and believe it or not, 15’s our backup punter.”#ChiefsKingdom @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/x6QnmDgCMF

— Marleah Campbell (@MarleahKCTV5) October 19, 2023

Toub said that Mahomes shows him in practice all the time that he can punt if needed. It’s been good enough to where the Chiefs feel comfortable calling him their emergency punter. We’ve never seen Mahomes punt for the Chiefs before, but that could all change in Week 7 for the Chargers if he’s called upon.