At last, there’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the Kansas City Chiefs. The beginning of 2025 may have been cruel to them, but the year is parting with a Christmas gift. After taking a tough tackle in the final moments of Week 14, Patrick Mahomes sustained his career’s first major surgery — a torn ACL and LCL. The good news, though: the surgery went well with some positive development. 

After taking a second opinion in Dallas, the three-time Super Bowl MVP underwent surgery there on December 15. Now, straight from the Chiefs’ sources, Jay Glazer of FOX NFL has revealed the latest development on Mahomes’ recovery journey.  

“Patrick Mahomes had surgery on Monday to repair a torn ACL and LCL,” shared Glazer on Instagram. “He flew back to Kansas City on Thursday, already started rehabbing at the facility yesterday, today. I’m told he could already even bend his knee 90 degrees. Listen, they’re saying it’s a 9-month recovery, [and] Patrick Mahomes, we know, is different; he’s going to attack.” 

Chiefs’ vice president of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, also confirmed that the team is estimating a recovery time of nine months. This means that Week 1 of 2026 will see Mahomes in Red and White. For now, he’s been put on injury reserve, and backup Gardner Minshew is entrusted to handle the remaining three games of 2025. 

“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,” Burkholder said. [Patrick Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker.”

Mahomes’ injury was far more serious than it initially appeared. Burkholder revealed the signal caller’s left knee took the major blow, stemming from a non-contact hyperextension. However, after consulting with Dr Dan Cooper, the Cowboys’ head physician, everything was deemed “fixable.” 

After an MRI in Kansas City, Mahomes met with Dr Cooper in Dallas, who performed ligament repair surgery on Monday. By Tuesday, Mahomes had begun rehab with Chiefs assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer, with whom he also rehabbed through his previous injuries. 

Patrick Mahomes spoils his O-line for the festive season

The two-time NFL MVP may not be physically with his locker room, but he didn’t stop being their leader. Despite having so much on his plate with his injury recovery, he refused to let his teammates have dull holidays. Keeping his annual Christmas tradition alive, he surprised his offensive line with a PlayStation 5 and a portable case. 

As per the team’s social media post, the O-line was enjoying the holiday spirit in full swing, zipping e-bikes through the hallways and testing out their sleek AI glasses. All thanks to their leader, Mahomes. Every year, the quarterback spoils his offensive line with Christmas gifts, and it has inspired many teams across the league. 

Just last season, he gifted them a red Yeti Tundra Haul cooler, each worth $425, and all stuffed with ice. But that wasn’t all. He put premium goodies like Hyperice Normatec Elite leg compressors, Oakley shades, Lucchese boots, Adidas Black Y-3 apparel, WHOOP fitness trackers, Louis Vuitton luggage, and the classic Rolex timepieces in the hamper. 

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