For the first time in his NFL career, Patrick Mahomes spent the offseason rehabbing a serious injury. How quickly that progress will depend on him and his body.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback met with reporters Thursday via video call for the first time since a season-ending ACL tear late in the regular season. The injury puts Mahomes’ availability for the 2026 season in some doubt, but he said his rehab is going well and he hopes to be back to 100 percent by Week 1:
“Everything is going well. Obviously, long term, I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctor said I can, but I can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process. That’s my goal, so I’m going to try to be ready and ready for Week 1 and not have any restrictions. You want to stay healthy and give us the best chance to win.
“Obviously, I hope to be able to do some things in OTAs and go to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot of things there. It’s a long process, but I’m excited about it.”
Those hopes are consistent with what Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder told reporters last month after Mahomes’ surgery. He gave a loose recovery timetable of nine months, which would mean September 15th as a return date. That’s a few days after the NFL season opener, but the margin of error is huge.
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His comments:
“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different. Traditionally, for him, he pursues it very hard and he’s so in tune with what he’s doing that he does it a little faster. It’s probably nine months. Maybe a month or two less, a month or two more. You never know what’s going to happen, everyone is biomechanically designed, so you have to go through it.
Mahomes’ knee isn’t the only part of the Chiefs that needs rehab. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since drafting the future Hall of Famer and faced the effects of an aging core in a rapidly changing league.
Patrick Mahomes’ offseason goal is to stay healthy for Week 1. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
(Associated Press)
One of the biggest question marks in Kansas City is the offensive coordinator situation. Incumbent Matt Nagy’s contract is expiring and he has been interviewing for the head coaching job over the past few weeks. A return seems unlikely and head coach Andy Reid will have to find a replacement.
Mahomes said he believes Reid “has a good plan for who he wants to bring in,” then listed what he’d like to see in the team’s next offensive coordinator:
“I just want someone who loves football, cares about football, is willing to do whatever it takes to win, hold people accountable, bring new ideas every day. I think if you want to continue to be great, that’s what we have to continue to do.”
“In this league, you have to keep evolving and getting better and better. That’s what we’re going to try to do here. I want to get back to that winning culture, holding each other accountable and playing good football every day, whether it’s practice or a game.”
Whenever he returns, Mahomes’ talent will be a valuable asset in his search for a coordinator. Reed will likely look to a familiar face—perhaps Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy—or bring in someone entirely new. Whether the hire is successful could have significant ramifications for other members of the AFC.