Patrick Mahomes is on schedule. The Chiefs quarterback tore his ACL and LCL in a December loss to the Chargers, and now, roughly seven months later, the team is optimistic he will play Week 1 against the Broncos.
Mahomes reports to Chiefs training camp on Friday alongside the rest of the veterans and rookies. He is expected to be cleared for full football activities this week, which puts him weeks ahead of a typical ACL recovery timeline.
Head coach Andy Reid is holding his cards close. But the vibes coming out of Kansas City are as positive as they can be.
Why the Recovery Is Ahead of Schedule
Modern ACL and LCL surgeries are not the career-enders they used to be. Reconstruction techniques have improved. Rehab protocols are more aggressive. Athletes are physically capable of returning at nine months if their bodies cooperate.
Mahomes has the ideal profile for a fast recovery. He is 30 years old and in outstanding shape. He is not asked to run for his life every down. He plays a position that can be managed conservatively in the early weeks of a season. Justin Fields is on the roster as an insurance policy in case Reid wants to ease him in.
Sources tell Yahoo Sports Daily that Mahomes has been running route trees and doing full-speed drop-backs since June. The medical staff has been surprised by the progress. Barring a setback, he plays September 9.
What the Chiefs Are Bracing For
Reid has not committed to a Week 1 start. He is being realistic. If Mahomes shows any sign of hesitation in preseason or the final week of camp, Fields plays against Denver. That is not a downgrade to a bad quarterback. Fields threw for 4,100 yards last year in Pittsburgh before signing with Kansas City in the offseason.
The AFC West opens with a Super Bowl LX rematch. Denver is the defending division champion. The Broncos want to make a statement in the opener. That is a high-pressure spot for a quarterback returning from major knee surgery, and Reid will not force Mahomes into it if he is not 100 percent.
Chiefs Kingdom has already accepted this. The fan base watched Mahomes play through injuries for years. They know he is stubborn about coming back. They also know he trusts Reid to make the right call.
The AFC Implications
Kansas City with a healthy Mahomes is the AFC favorite. Full stop. Travis Kelce is aging but still productive. Rashee Rice is a proven weapon. Xavier Worthy is a big-play threat. The defense is stacked, especially in the front seven.
Without Mahomes, the ceiling drops considerably. Fields is a better athlete but a much worse pure passer. He would keep the Chiefs at 10 wins, not 13.
The Broncos, Chargers, and Bengals are all watching this recovery closely. So are the Bills, Ravens, and Texans. If Mahomes is Mahomes by October, the AFC race is over before it starts. If he needs a month or two to shake off the rust, there is an opening.
The Chiefs believe he is fine. His body is telling them he is fine. Week 1 in Denver is where we find out for sure.
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.
