The most important player in the NFL is back on the field, and that should terrify the rest of the league. Patrick Mahomes participated in drills at Chiefs OTAs as he rehabs the torn ACL he suffered late last season.
Seeing Mahomes moving around and going through reps this early is a great sign for Kansas City. ACL recoveries are no joke, but the fact that he is already out there in late May suggests the timeline is trending in the right direction.
The Chiefs are not taking chances, though, and they should not. They traded for Justin Fields to back him up, which is the kind of smart insurance every team with a franchise quarterback should carry.
Why the Caution Makes Sense
Mahomes is the engine of a dynasty. There is no reason to rush him through OTAs in May when the games that matter do not start until September. Getting him reps to stay sharp while protecting the knee is the obvious play, and the Chiefs have earned the benefit of the doubt on managing their stars.
The bigger picture is that Kansas City has built its entire identity around Mahomes for nearly a decade. As long as he is healthy by Week 1, the Chiefs are a contender. That is just how it works when you have a top-three quarterback of all time still in his prime.
The ACL is the one thing that could change the calculus. Quarterbacks generally recover well from knee injuries, and Mahomes has the work ethic and resources to come back at full strength. But mobility is part of his game, and the Chiefs will want to be certain the explosiveness is all the way back before they turn him loose.
The AFC Should Be Nervous
Every team chasing the Chiefs was probably hoping the ACL would slow Mahomes down. The early returns suggest that hope is fading. A healthy Mahomes with a deep roster and Andy Reid calling plays is the same nightmare it has always been.
Kansas City has also surrounded him with insurance and weapons, so even a slightly limited Mahomes makes them dangerous. If he is at 100 percent by the opener, the rest of the conference is once again playing for second place.
The Chiefs are doing this exactly right. Bring him along slowly, protect the investment, and have him peaking when it counts.
Mahomes is back at practice. The dynasty is not going anywhere just yet.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
