Patrick Mahomes on his return: 'I want to be ready for Week 1'
Mahomes is a month removed from ACL, LCL surgery
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is exactly one month removed from a surgical procedure to repair a torn ACL and LCL to his left knee.
Recovery from the surgery is typically a nine-month window, meaning Mahomes could be healthy enough for the start of the 2026 regular season.
And if the star quarterback has his way, the scenario might become a reality.
“I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes said Thursday during a Zoom teleconference with members of the Chiefs media corps. “The doctor said I could be, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process.
“But that’s my goal, and so I’ll try to prepare myself to get ready to play in Week 1 and have no restrictions. You know you want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win.”
He’ll have a lot to prove between now and then, of course.
The Chiefs go through organized team activities (OTAs) in late May through early June, followed by a mandatory minicamp in mid-June, and then a month or so off before reporting for training camp in July.
How much on-field work Mahomes does during those phases of the offseason workout program remains to be seen, but he’s optimistic.
“Obviously, hopefully I’ll be able to do some stuff in OTAs and get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there,” he said. “I’m excited for the process – it’s a long process, but I’m excited for (it).”
Mahomes sounded upbeat and optimistic throughout his Zoom teleconference for a reason.
So far, so good.
“Rehab is going great so far,” he said. “Just hitting all the check points that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and the range and mobility back, so that’s been going great.”
Progress, however, carries some caution to prevent a setback.
Mahomes pointed out he continues to do his rehab work in Kansas City, working closely with doctors and Chiefs athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.
But he admitted the medical staff sometimes has him pump the brakes.
“The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just try to maximize those,” Mahomes said. “They hold me back because I always want to go a little bit further.”
The Chiefs clearly won’t want to risk their franchise signal-caller to unnecessary harm if he pushes himself too hard outside the confines of his recovery process.
So, taking things slowly and attacking rehab one day at a time will go a long way in helping achieve Mahomes’ desire to be ready for the 2026 regular-season opener.
“It’s hard but at the same time you got to kind of flip the script fast knowing that it’s going to be a quick turnaround to get to the season,” Mahomes said. “So, now, it’s just been motivating to try to push myself — like I said, as much as they’ll let me push myself — to be ready for next year.”