KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has begun rehabbing after surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, and the team is optimistic the two-time MVP could return early next season — possibly even by the time he plays Week 1 in Kansas City.
Rick Burkholder, their vice president of sports medicine and performance, said Wednesday that the surgery performed by Dr. Dan Cooper on Monday night in Dallas went well. The surgery occurred about 24 hours after Mahomes tore his ACL and ACL in a loss to the Chargers.
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Recovery time for this injury is approximately nine months, but can vary by a few months depending on various factors. Next season is expected to start on September 10, 2026, with the Chiefs likely to play their first game a few days later.
“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,” Burkholder said. “(Mahomes) is very comfortable with what he’s doing, and he’s doing it a little quicker. It’s probably nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less.”
The loss to the Chargers knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention, ending a ten-year streak. They’ve also won the past nine AFC West titles, reached the previous seven conference championship games and appeared in the past three Super Bowls.
Now, backup Gardner Minshew will start the final three games at quarterback at Tennessee starting Sunday.
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“A very emotional game took a turn very quickly, and obviously Pat’s situation, our team’s playoff situation,” he said. “But you know what? You’re where you are right now. We’ve got to turn it around and get a win this weekend.”
In addition to their star quarterback, the Chiefs may be missing several big-name players.
Rashee Rice and fellow receiver Tyquan Thornton are being treated for concussions after taking serious hits against Los Angeles, while left tackle Jaylon Moore remains out with a knee injury and right tackle Jawaan Taylor is out with an elbow issue.
On defense, cornerback Trent McDuffie is still dealing with a knee injury and linebacker Leo Chenal has a shoulder issue.
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None of those players participated in practice Wednesday.
“We’ll see how they perform in the game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
As for Mahomes, he is scheduled to return to Kansas City by Friday, where he will continue his recovery with Burkholder’s staff. Leading the effort will be Mahomes’ assistant coach and top physical therapist Julie Frymyer, whose name made headlines in the 2022-23 playoffs as she helped Mahomes overcome a severe high ankle sprain without missing a game.
Recently, Frymire even appeared in a State Farm insurance commercial with Mahomes.
“I think you all know, as a player, his mentality is a little different than most,” Burkholder said. “He’s very strict about what he does. He’s here at 6 o’clock in the morning and he’s the last one out at night. He rehabs like this. When you add up all the little things, it makes players recover faster. They don’t recover faster, they just get back to performing faster.”
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Reid said he has spoken to Mahomes every day since he was injured in the final minutes of Sunday’s game.
“He’s very motivated right now,” Reed said. “Like Rick said, he attacked it that day. You don’t expect anything to happen. ‘Get me up, let me go,’ he was basically saying an hour after the game. ‘Put me up and let me go.'” Obviously, that wasn’t one of them, but that was his mentality. I think he’ll do well when he recovers. He’s a pretty fast healer. His attitude determines 90% of how you do it. How willing you are to push through the pain to get on the right path. “
Minshew admitted it was a strange feeling walking through the team facility without Mahomes this week. But the two quarterbacks have stayed in touch, and the veteran with 46 starts in seven NFL seasons is looking to Mahomes for input on upcoming games.
“He was great, man. Once he figured it out, he started texting the quarterback room,” Minshew said. “Very positive. Trying to get us excited. The guy still wants us to win. That’s all he cares about.”
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