The 2025 season for the Kansas City Chiefs ended in the worst possible way. In nearly a decade, the team failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time. Before that, the star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, suffered a knee injury against the Chargers. While it remains unclear whether Mahomes will be available to start the next season, he is working hard to get back on the field. The Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce, has expressed immense confidence in Mahomes’ recovery during the rehab.

Sharing an update on Mahomes’ recovery from a torn ACL injury, Kelce, on the ‘New Heights’ podcast, revealed: “He’s just a hard-working American man who was in Kansas City, knocking out rehab and getting his leg strength back.” In an earlier podcast, he had already expressed his faith in Mahomes to recover quickly.

“He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to this football thing… He’s gonna make sure he comes back stronger than ever…. Hopefully the Chiefs can get him back as soon as possible,” he said. 

Patrick Mahomes’ recovery has become the most closely watched update during the offseason. While the Chiefs have been tight-lipped about it publicly, the latest reports suggest that things are actually moving along well behind the scenes. In a recent episode of ‘The Insider,’ sportswriter and commentator Ian Rapoport said there’s a lot of optimism inside the building right now. He stated:

“I wouldn’t be surprised based on the words of Andy Reid if he’s out there for OTAs. The Chiefs have an excellent medical and training staff. They’re going to make sure that if he’s on the field, he’s out of harm’s way and he’s ok. To allow him to be on the field is a little bit of a reward for the work he has done. He has been working. This feels to me like the team is, you know what? You have earned the right to be on the field for OTA’s.”

Kansas City used the 2026 NFL draft to load up its defense to get back to what has worked for the franchise in the past. However, any chances of success will depend on what version of Mahomes Andy Reid gets when he returns to the gridiron.

Patrick Mahomes intends to return stronger

Mahomes has had an unbelievable run in his first seven years in the pros, leading his team to an AFC Championship appearance each year. However, that streak ended last year. The offense has been trending downward for a while now, and last season it finally bottomed out. Even if Mahomes had been available to play, the Chiefs could not have made it to the playoffs. 

It was believed Mahomes could just carry a mediocre roster on his back forever, but this myth got busted in 2025. In 14 starts during the season, he performed decently, recording 22 touchdowns for 3,587 yards. However, these numbers look subpar when compared to his earlier performances. 

Now, the Chiefs’ hopes of making a deep run next year hinge on Mahomes’ ability to bounce back from his injury. While many questions remain over the team’s roster, Patrick is obsessed with making sure his health isn’t one of them. 

As early as January, he had said, “I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win.”

The 2025 season effectively ended the Chiefs’ “invincibility” era. The campaign proved that even a generational talent like Mahomes needs a solid foundation around him. Whether he’s back to 100% by the opener remains the biggest story. But for now, the Chiefs have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their QB’s return to the field as the QB inches closer to OTA return.