Arguably, the final blow to the 6- Kansas City Chiefs‘ season wasn’t their playoff exit. It was the sight of their franchise cornerstone, Patrick Mahomes, down on the field, clutching his knee in agony in their Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, the grim news about his season-ending ACL tear has finally seen a crucial glimmer of hope.

After the 16-13 home defeat that ended KC’s 11-year playoff appearance streak, Mahomes underwent an MRI that confirmed an ACL tear in his left knee, along with an LCL tear that could complicate the issue. He flew to Dallas for a second opinion on his injury from Dr. Dan Cooper. Consequently, on Monday, the quarterback underwent successful surgery.

The quick surgery was crucial for the team as they vie for the 2026 season, where they would want Mahomes to be fully recovered from the get-go. However, with rehabilitation lasting at least six to nine months, the process might conclude after the first week of the next season.

In the fourth quarter, with only two minutes remaining in the regulation, on a 1st & 10 play at the LAC 46 line, Patrick Mahomes ran to his right as he faced pressure from three Chargers. When the opposing defensive end Da’Shawn Hand came too close, the QB threw the ball away towards his teammate for an incomplete pass. While that was a quick decision from Mahomes’ end, what followed changed everything for KC.

Mahomes was down on the field, surrounded by the trainers who rushed in. His teammates were on their knees, praying for their future Hall of Famer. After a while, the quarterback was assisted off the field and checked in the locker room.

Head coach Andy Reid had confirmed that Mahomes will undergo an MRI on his left knee to assess the full extent of the damage in his post-game press conference.

Mahomes was already nursing some issues in his left knee from the Houston Texans’ loss the week before. The quarterback had been managing it with warm compressions during practice.

The loss of their undisputed leader is a massive blow for the Chiefs, who looked to turn around how their Super Bowl hopes ended at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Mahomes had already amassed 3,587 passing yards and 22 touchdowns on the season, completing 315 of 502 passes (62.7% completion rate). However, they can still plan for the next season.

After the MRI confirmed the torn ACL in his left knee, they immediately started getting the required medical advice, as Reid gives an update.

Andy Reid talks about Patrick Mahomes’ recovery process

Head coach Andy Reid claimed in the postgame presser that he didn’t know what had happened exactly to their franchise quarterback. However, he knew it was bad. Still, he knows the signal caller will do well in rehab and come back stronger than ever.

“He’ll attack it (rehab) just like he does everything else. There have been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had the same injuries. They’ve done pretty well after they came back. So, he’ll get after it,” Reid said. “He’s got good people here to rehab him. And again, he’ll be right on top of all that.”

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While the recovery period depends on the player’s body and ability to heal, the NFL has multiple examples of players who have recovered for the better.

We don’t have to go far, as the NFL legend, Tom Brady, whom Mahomes is compared to multiple times, is one of them. The New England Patriots superstar tore his ACL in his ninth season, just like Mahomes. However, he returned to win more Super Bowls. As the Chief’s pillar nurses his injury, Brady couldn’t help but send a motivational message to him.

“The only thing you can do is focus on what’s ahead of you and not look back. It’s one of the toughest rehabs. It’s always the same amount of pain and discomfort, except you’re making progress through that pain and discomfort. I wish him the very best,” Brady told Jim Gray of Let’s Go podcast.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is another example. He tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie year (2020), but came back superbly the next year in 2021, taking them to the Super Bowl.

Now, Andy Reid is expecting a similar outcome from Patrick Mahomes. He won’t play again this year, and the Chiefs will rely on their backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew, to win the next three games. However, the Chiefs would want to see their Patrick Mahomes return as a starter in their next campaign.