The Kansas City Chiefs are into their preseason schedule and are coming off a 12-20 loss against the Los Angeles Rams in their opener. Patrick Mahomes, their star QB, has been treated carefully by the franchise as he’s coming off an injury. As such, HC Andy Reid kept him off the field against the Rams, and as it seems, he is likely to do the same for their upcoming preseason game.
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“Andy Reid, at the close of the Chiefs’ training camp, said that Justin Fields will play into the 2nd quarter for Saturday’s exhibition against the Buccaneers. Patrick Mahomes will not play. No Trey Smith, Josh Simmons & Ashton Gillotte, either,” ESPN’s Nate Taylor wrote on X.
HC Andy Reid was always skeptical about giving game time to their star quarterback in the preseason games.
“There’s a pretty good chance I don’t play him [in the first preseason game],” Reid said a week ahead of the Rams game. “Percentages are leaning that way. I don’t know if I’ll play him the second or third game; I don’t know that, but the percentages likely lean against doing that. We’ve got new people in those other positions behind him that need some work, and so the more reps they get, the better.”
Reid’s hesitance to push Mahomes towards playing a game isn’t without reason. During the Week 15 (December 14, 2025) matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller met with a season-ending injury. In action, during the fourth quarter, Mahomes scrambled to extend a play when an awkward hit caused his left knee to buckle.
Later, MRI imaging confirmed a complete tear of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) as well as significant damage to the Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL). Due to this, Mahomes had to undergo a dual-ligament reconstruction surgery, which was followed by a recovery period of seven months.
On July 24, 2026, Chiefs HC Andy Reid announced that Patrick Mahomes was fully cleared for 11-on-11 football contact at the start of training camp. However, while teammates reported that Mahomes looks incredibly sharp and showed “zero limitations,” he wore a protective brace on his left knee.
And as it seems, to eliminate any risk of real-game contact, the Chiefs are holding Mahomes out for at least two games of their preseason campaign. After the Buccaneers clash on Saturday, the Chiefs will host the reigning Super Bowl winners, the Seattle Seahawks, at Arrowhead Stadium on Friday, August 28.
Whether Reid allows Mahomes to scramble against the Seahawks remains to be seen, but once the regular season kicks off against the Denver Broncos on September 14, the Chiefs’ star QB will be under center leading the offense.