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Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is on the road to recovery following surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL.
As the Kansas City Chiefs‘ offseason rolls on, other teams are participating in the playoffs. It’s a rare experience for head coach Andy Reid’s team, albeit one they’ll work to not endure again.
One thing that complicates that picture is quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The all-world signal-caller suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the year, which will drastically impact his offseason.
In his first media availability since tearing his ACL and LCL, Mahomes provided an update on his recovery following surgery. It’s good news for Chiefs fans.
Patrick Mahomes Sets Goal to Be Available for Week 1 of 2026 Season
According to Mahomes, everything is going as planned.
“First off, rehab’s going great so far,” Mahomes said. “Just hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and range of mobility back. That’s been going great — I’ve been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far. Julie (Frymyer) has been crushing it pushing me. The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just try to maximize those. They hold me back, because I always want to go a little bit further. It’s been going great.”
The two-time MVP winner didn’t stop there. Informed by his medical team that it’s in the realm of possibilities, Mahomes declared he wants to play in the 2026-27 regular-season opener.
“Obviously, long-term, I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes said. “Doctor said that I could be, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process. That’s my goal, and so I’ll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do some stuff in OTAs and then get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. I’m excited for the process. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.”
With that said, everyone involved must be patient. It’s something Mahomes is learning along the way, but the balancing act is working.
“We have a great plan in place as far as where we want to get to, but we have to let it all play out and kind of take it a day at a time,” Mahomes said. “It’s been hard for me, but at the same time, it makes me [make] the best out of every single day.”
Week 1 of next season is slated to kick off on September 10. That’s nearly nine full months after Mahomes’s knee injury. If he reaches his goal, it’d be great news for Kansas City.
Mahomes Reveals Potential Offseason Plan for Chiefs’ Offense
As Mahomes mentioned, there’s plenty that can take place between now and then. A goal is healthy to have, but it can’t be treated as a guarantee. Still, both the championship-winning field general and his training team will attack rehab at every turn.
Things will look different, surely. In the past, the Chiefs conducted Phase One of their offseason program with their quarterback hosting pass catchers. “Camp Mahomes,” as it was dubbed by many, allowed him and his skill position players to build rapport in his home state of Texas.
Given the ACL/LCL injuries, Mahomes believes that optional portion of the offseason could be more localized.
“I can’t speak for what coach Reid exactly is going to do, but I would expect us to be here a little bit earlier, just with me already being here,” Mahomes said. “I’ve talked to some of the receivers already. I think that’s kind of the mindset we have is we want to be in the building and getting back to it. The thing about when you lose and you don’t make the playoffs, you have a longer offseason than you usually have. I think guys are getting away right now, getting their minds right and getting their bodies right, but guys are hungry to get back out there. It’s hard to watch these playoff games.”
Motivation seems to be an early theme of the Chiefs’ offseason. For Mahomes, in particular, that’s a good thing.
Jordan Foote is a seasoned sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with an emphasis on the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. He has years of experience publishing NFL and MLB content for Sports Illustrated’s On SI vertical, in addition to a background in NBA coverage for multiple outlets. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media. He’s based in Kansas City. More about Jordan Foote
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