If it was up to Patrick Mahomes, healthy or not, he would be running out of the tunnel to lead the offense for the Chiefs’ Week 1 matchup against the Broncos. But a healthy Mahomes for the season opener may become a bit more of a reality as the former MVP continues to rehab ahead of schedule.
Head coach Andy Reid even addressed the rumors of Mahomes’ eventual return during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday where he wouldn’t rule out the possibility.
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“He’s getting better every day, he’s not taking any setbacks,” Reid said. “It’s a day-to-day thing, and as long as he keeps making progress forward, maybe we’ll have a chance to see him in the first game. But we’ll play that as we go.”
Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL and LC which he suffered last December following a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Just one month post injury, Mahomes stated that he would be ready for the first week of the 2026 season.
“I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could,” Mahomes said in January, “but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
Despite missing the playoffs last season, Mahomes has helped deliver three Super Bowl wins to Kansas City across his nine seasons.
Should Mahomes not be ready to go, the Chiefs will likely turn to journeyman quarterback Justin Fields who was acquired during the offseason.
But should things keep progressing as reported, the rumors of Mahomes’ return may become a reality.
Patrick Dowd is a contributor for Ball Exclusives. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
