Patrick Mahomes Delivers Week 1 Update: Chiefs QB Says He Feels Great After ACL Surgery
Patrick Mahomes says he feels great. That is the update from Kansas City, where the reigning three-time MVP is on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on September 14, roughly nine months after his ACL and LCL surgery in December.
Nine months is aggressive for that combination injury. It is at the low end of the typical recovery window. Most players in that spot would still be building back, easing into practice, and probably missing the season opener. Mahomes has hit every benchmark and has not missed a single practice since being cleared for football activities in July.
“I feel great. I’m on track to start in Week 1,” Mahomes said.
He also said he does not plan to play in any preseason games this year. That is a departure for him. He has traditionally taken a small handful of preseason snaps to get game reps. This time, the Chiefs are being careful about the workload. That is fine. A regular-season opener at Arrowhead against a division rival is a good enough dry run.
The Broncos are a real test for the return. Denver has quietly built a solid defense under Sean Payton, and their pass rush can create problems for any quarterback. Mahomes is going to get hit. The question is whether the knee holds up.
The Chiefs are running a modified offensive plan to protect him. Expect more quick game, more play-action, and more Isiah Pacheco on early downs. Andy Reid has been coaching pass-happy football since the 1990s, but he will adjust to keep his quarterback healthy. That is what smart coaches do.
The bigger story is that Mahomes is 30 years old and now has a torn ACL on his medical file. That is going to affect how the Chiefs think about his workload for the next several years. Mobility is a big part of his game, and while he is still going to run when he has to, the front office and coaching staff have to think about protecting the franchise player for the long haul.
There is a comparison to Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles at age 39 and came back strong. Rodgers’s game was already more from the pocket, so the injury did not fundamentally change how he played. Mahomes is going to face a bigger adjustment. He improvises. He scrambles. He extends plays for 10-second highlight reels. Some of that is going to look different in 2026.
The Chiefs’ offense already looked different in 2025. Rashee Rice was hurt. Xavier Worthy was inconsistent. Travis Kelce is getting older. The offensive line lost some pieces. The team leaned harder on the running game and defense to win games. That template probably continues this year, just with Mahomes back at the controls.
The AFC West is a real division again too. Denver is a Wild Card contender. The Chargers under Jim Harbaugh are legitimate. The Raiders have been rebuilding for years but have some young talent to work with. Kansas City cannot coast through the schedule like they did five years ago.
All of that is context for the fact that Mahomes needs to be on the field. He is the most important player on the team by a mile. If he can play 16 or 17 regular-season games and enter January healthy, the Chiefs are a Super Bowl contender. If the knee acts up and he misses time, the whole season gets harder.
The good news is that everything Mahomes has said this camp has been positive. He looks like himself. He is throwing well in practice. His teammates say the leg looks strong. The medical staff has cleared him for full contact.
Week 1 is coming. Mahomes will be under center. The rest of the league has been reminded that the guy who broke every offensive record over the last seven seasons is still the standard.
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.
