When Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending injury last season, a veteran tight end texted him that he was “here for [him]” on the “lonely road ahead” of rehabilitation.
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That tight end was none other than Zach Ertz of the Washington Commanders. As the two players started to share their comeback journey over texts, Ertz reached out once more as the Chiefs star QB reached the end of his rehabilitation.
“Bro, you’re killing it,” Ertz wrote to Mahomes when the QB was cleared for full participation at training camp, per The Athletic. “It’s not surprising why he’s so great…He attacks everything.”
Last season, Ertz tore his ACL in a loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. And just a week later, Mahomes went down with an ACL and LCL tear against the LA Chargers in Week 15.
When the injury happened, it was reported that Mahomes would take at least 9 to 12 months of rehab to bounce back. For Ertz, who has played 13 years in the league, the timeline was also roughly nine months. The two went through the same repair surgery on December 15 last year.
“It was good to have someone to just be like, ‘OK, where I’m at is right where I need to be.’ And we’re being aggressive, but we’re being smart,” Ertz told The Athletic. “So it was good to have someone that was constantly going through the same struggles that I was.”
Having a partner during that long rehabilitation journey makes a real difference. It offers a constant reminder that you aren’t facing the road to recovery alone.
“You feel like sometimes you’re lonely, because you’re doing stuff by yourself and you’re just competing against yourself,” Patrick Mahomes said. “So it gave me someone else I can compete with to push my competitive drive.”
However, both players are now cleared for all football activities this season. They are making their comeback in just seven months after the injury. Even though they fought through this difficult time quickly, Ertz explained how challenging that process felt daily.
“It’s tough not seeing those immediate results,” Ertz said. “And I think that is probably the toughest part, mentally just grinding through those difficult days where it’s not getting tangibly better objectively.”
The tight end appreciated Mahomes’ “aggressiveness,” saying it pushed him to take that next step too. The three-time Super Bowl champion, Mahomes, made great progress all through rehab.
As the offseason began, head coach Andy Reid assured us that Mahomes was way ahead of his schedule. He practiced at the facility for 7-8 hours daily. Later, was allowed to participate in a limited, non-contact capacity during Organized Team Activities (OTAs). All of these are efforts to ensure Mahomes is ready to start the regular season for the Chiefs in Week 1.
For both players, the bond formed during rehab became a key part of their recovery. Having a peer who understood the pain, the doubt, and the slow progress made the process feel less isolating. For Mahomes, it added a competitive edge to his rehab. For Ertz, it was proof that he was on the right track.