After Patrick Mahomes tore his left ACL and LCL in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, those around him knew recovery would be a long process. The injury meant he was staring down one of the loneliest battles of his career. The physical pain was only the beginning. The endless rehab sessions, the uncertainty, the quiet fear of whether his body would ever feel the same again all became part of the journey ahead. Though he is now ready for the OTAs, back then, within the football community, countless voices spoke about the mental weight of injuries like this because they understood the harsh truth.

Heartbroken and searching for answers, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback turned to X shortly after the injury, writing, “Don’t know why this had to happen.” Those words brought back the fresh memory of the player wincing in pain on the field. But his teammates, especially Travis Kelce, refused to let their belief in Mahomes ever waver.

“He’s just a hard-working American man who was in Kansas City, knocking out rehab and getting his leg strength back,” Kelce said in an episode of his New Heights podcast. 

 But it goes without saying that it was barely the first time Kelce spoke about his dear friend and teammate. In an earlier episode, 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 back in December.

But here’s the thing: Mahomes’ recovery from surgery 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 fact, on May 1, general manager Brett Veach shared an update. 

“He’s in our building every single day,” Veach mentioned. “And even when he goes away for a few days, say to Dallas for a weekend with his family, he takes one of our trainers with him.”

Similarly, head coach Andy Reid had a positive update on May 2, wherein he mentioned that the QB might be seen on the field during the franchise’s OTAs in May. Veach even described him as “way ahead of schedule,” fueling growing belief that a full return by training camp is within reach. Barring any setbacks, the Chiefs fully expect the face of their franchise to once again lead them onto the field as their Week 1 starter in 2026.

The Chiefs will hold their OTA sessions across two stretches this offseason: May 26-28 and again from June 1-3. Kansas City’s mandatory minicamp is set to follow soon after, running from June 9-11.

Patrick Mahomes intends to return stronger

For seven years (2017-2024), Mahomes has had an unbelievable run. They won three Super Bowls and have had deep postseason runs. But 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, the quarterback 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 he inches closer to OTA return.