While Patrick Mahomes isn’t fully cleared yet and is still wearing a sizable brace on his left knee, he’s been taking part in select drills as he works his way back. It was from the very moment he suffered the injury that the Chiefs’ star made it clear that his target was to be ready for Week 1. Returning from a major knee injury often comes with hesitation, but Mahomes insists that won’t be the case when he’s finally cleared to play. According to the quarterback, once he steps back onto the field, there will be no holding back.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I know that whenever I get out there on the field, and I feel like I can be Patrick Mahomes, I’ll be Patrick Mahomes,” Mahomes said after taking part in the Chiefs’ OTA session on Thursday. “I’ve never not felt like 100 percent; even when I have a sprained ankle, I feel like I’m 100 percent of what I can be. So, I’m going to have that mindset when I get on the field, and when I get on the field, I’m going to be myself. I’m not going to hold back.”

Ever since tearing his ACL and LCL last December, Mahomes’ target has been to be ready for Week 1 when the Chiefs open their season under the lights at Arrowhead Stadium against the defending AFC West champion Broncos. And so, he spent the offseason rehabbing at the Chiefs’ facility with longtime athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.

But if Mahomes needs more time to complete his recovery, Kansas City may have to lean on one of its backup options. Whether that’s Justin Fields, Chris Oladokun, or rookie Garrett Nussmeier. The Chiefs would need them to hold down the fort until their franchise quarterback is ready to return.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is also taking a cautious approach with Mahomes’ recovery. To avoid any accidental contact, Reid kept the quarterback out of plays involving crossing receiver routes. That’s where collisions can sometimes happen unexpectedly. Mahomes was also held out of full-team periods that pitted the entire offense against the defense.

Still, Reid sounded impressed by his QB’s work to be back on the field.

“I like what I’ve seen. He’s working hard,” Reid said. “This is good for him — getting out there and throwing is good for him. He’s doing partial practice. It’s important. He’s busted his tail to put himself in this position… We’ve got good communication with the doctors. They keep a close eye on him, and we listen to them.”

Mahomes has been positive ever since he started practicing after his return. He says that playing with a brace is not new to him, implying that his approach to the game won’t be affected by the injury.

“I wore a brace in college—and on the same knee,” Mahomes said. “It’s not too different. Obviously, I’m not running and cutting yet. That’ll be another adjustment period at some point. It’s good to get these reps now so I can speed that adjustment period along.”

While playing for Texas Tech as a sophomore in 2015, Patrick Mahomes injured his left knee in the first quarter against TCU after taking a hit near the sideline on a 15-yard run. He stayed in the game wearing a brace, but his movement was limited for the rest of the matchup.

Even with injury setbacks, he finished the season with more than 4,600 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, leading the conference. Clearly, the belief that he can bounce back from injury once again is still there.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said earlier this month that Mahomes was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery; however, there is still more work he needs to do before participating in football training sessions, and head coach Andy Reid isn’t rushing him back either.

Andy Reid is being extra cautious with Patrick Mahomes

While head coach Andy Reid said Patrick Mahomes has “busted his tail to put himself in this position,” the Chiefs are still being extremely careful with his recovery and continuing to follow the doctors’ guidance every step of the way.

Reid explained that the team limited Mahomes during certain parts of practice purely as a precaution.

“He can travel under center, but I just don’t want him in any area where there might be a jet sweep coming or something of that sort,” Reid said of Mahomes.

The Chiefs’ head coach intentionally kept Mahomes away from plays involving cross-motion from receivers to avoid any accidental contact or mix-ups during practice. He also stayed out of full-team drills, where the entire offense lined up against the defense. While Reid and the Chiefs may be playing it safe, Mahomes made it clear that he still plans on being ready to play in the first game of the season on September 14 during Monday Night Football.

“I want to play. I don’t want to miss games as much as possible. I’m going to give myself a chance by the way I work to be the best I can be, by the way. I’m in a good spot now compared to where some people thought, but I thought I was going to be here.”

As the Chiefs continue OTAs, many NFL analysts already view Mahomes as an early favorite for Comeback Player of the Year if he returns healthy following Kansas City’s disappointing 6-11 season.