Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is beat up both mentally and physically as he continues to recover from the ACL tear he suffered last week against the Chargers. But that doesn’t stop him from sending some early Christmas love to his teammates. He’s sent out gifts already, and his teammates are loving it.

Mahomes sent a PS5 to his teammates, quite possibly the best gift you can give to a man. He added a portable gaming case, considering NFL players are on the move most of the time. And the Chiefs’ players cannot hide their appreciation for the quarterback. 

Wide receiver Hollywood Brown called him the goat and wrote “appreciate you” on his Instagram story.

Fellow wideout Xavier Worthy echoed the same sentiment. “Appreciate it,” he wrote, and followed it up with a GOAT emoji.

Running back Brashard Smith also showed some love: “Preciate you goat,” he said.

More followed. Receiver Jalen Royals posted his thanks. Tight end Jared Wiley did the same. Most of the love came from the offensive side of the ball, which makes you wonder if the gifts were given to the offense only. That wouldn’t be shocking. Outfitting all 53 players with PS5s and travel cases adds up quickly, even for Mahomes.

Still, the gesture matters. Mahomes isn’t around the facility the same way right now. He’s rehabbing and removed from the daily grind. But this is his way of staying close, of reminding guys he’s still there with them.

It’s also not new behavior. Before the 2025 season even started, Mahomes and Travis Kelce surprised teammates with preseason gift packages that turned heads around the league. Each player reportedly received a package worth about $17,000: Rolex Air-King watches, Louis Vuitton backpacks, high-end luggage, and bottles of Italian Barolo wine.

Still, the best gift he can give to his teammates cannot be boxed or wrapped. It’s getting himself healthy and back under center when next season begins.

Patrick Mahomes’ estimated return timeline

For the first time since he became the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes won’t be the one carrying them into the playoffs. That alone feels strange. Add in the torn ACL he suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, and the ending to this season feels even heavier. The one piece of good news is that the recovery process is already underway.

Mahomes had surgery on Monday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Dan Cooper at the Carrell Clinic, and everything went as expected. He’s already started rehab, which matters. An early exit from the season at least gives him a head start, and that could make a difference down the line.

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Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder shed some light on where things stand. First, he calmed any lingering worry by explaining that the injury itself was straightforward.

Burkholder said everything involved was “fixable, correctable,” and that it was addressed during the surgery, with no additional damage found. That’s the best-case scenario in a situation like this. He also offered a general timeline.

“Ballpark on this thing is nine months,” he said. “Could be a month or two less, could be a month or two more. You never know what goes and everyone’s designed differently bio-mechanically, so you just have to go through it, and then he has position-specific things he needs to do.”

That timetable would put Patrick Mahomes in a position to return early in the 2026 regular season, with the possibility that he misses the opener. But these recoveries don’t follow a script. After the year they just had, another slow start isn’t something they can afford. Getting Mahomes back at 100% early is imperative.