If there’s one thing Patrick Mahomes is itching to do, it’s to get back on the field. He’s been saying that every time we’ve heard him talk since then.
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“It was a long offseason. A lot of work, a lot of great people around me — trainers, Brittany (Mahomes), my family — supporting me, but now we get to go out there and play the sport that I love. Super excited I get to play at Arrowhead against a great opponent and go out there and be myself.”
And he’s done what most people thought impossible. Doctors and experts thought there was a good chance that his rehab wouldn’t be completed in time for Week 1, but he did it anyway. That’s why when the QB was asked about his injury in yet another press conference, Mahomes lost his cool.
Ahead of the divisional clash against the Denver Broncos, Mahomes was asked, once again, about his injury, and while he answered, he left the room frustrated, adding, “Hopefully I’m done with the questions about the leg,” per a video shared by NFL insider Ari Meirov.
The reporters laughed it off, letting the star quarterback go back to his much-needed space, but It’s hard to blame him for the fatigue.
Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee during a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers back in December, a 16-13 defeat that eliminated the Chiefs from the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. Since then, virtually every public appearance he’s made has circled back to the same subject: how the knee feels, when he’ll be cleared, whether he’ll be ready for Week 1.
More importantly, Mahomes had already answered questions about the injury earlier in the session, when reporters asked him if it would change the way he plays. He replied with:
“I’m going to keep myself out of harm’s way like I always will, not try to take big hits and stuff like that, but I’m a competitor. I signed up for this, and I’m going to go out there and play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what it is, and that’s probably how I’ll be the rest of my career.”
And to be fair to Mahomes, he has always been friendly with the media, going beyond an ordinary relationship. Just recently, he personally reached out to a reporter after he lost his father.
In any case, the urgency around this topic is somewhat justified, considering how important Mahomes is to the Chiefs’ entire campaign. The odds of success crash without him in the picture.
Following surgery to repair the injury, he has been working relentlessly to be able to suit up in Week 1. General Manager Brett Veach had lauded the quarterback’s resilience, saying he even used to take a trainer from the facility with him in case he had to travel outside the city. He began practicing his throwing skills only 100 days after the surgery.
Mahomes spent a lot of time in the Chiefs building during rehab, watching World Cup games while working to return on the field for the start of training camp.
By early August, head coach Andy Reid revealed Mahomes had rehabbed roughly seven hours a day since the injury.
“He didn’t go anywhere,” Reid said. “He kept playing; he gets his rehab taken care of before and after practice… he’s all in.”
However, the Chiefs have been cautious with his return. Mahomes did not play at full swing in practice initially, but in time, the staff let him be more active in drills. He was still held out of all three preseason games as the Chiefs managed his return, to avoid risking something so crucial to their success.
Mahomes confirmed he’ll continue wearing a brace (as he was in training camp) on the leg into the regular season, the same one he’s had on since training camp. He’s worn the brace before, in his final season with Texas Tech.
Head coach Andy Reid confirmed earlier this week that Mahomes is expected to start Monday night against Denver, barring any last-minute setback.
Monday’s game also gives the Chiefs a chance to move past a rough 2025 season, while Denver enters as the defending AFC West champion. After months of questions about his knee, Mahomes can finally let his play take over the conversation. That nagging urge to get over that 6-11 finish last year is fueling his desire to come back strong.
“I think it’s just the bad taste that we had from last season,” said the quarterback during the Chiefs’ kickoff luncheon, when he was asked about what motivated him this offseason. “It didn’t go the way we wanted to, Coach [Andy] Reid talked about that. But we learned from it and we’ve gotten better.
“I’ve worked to get to this point right here to be ready to go for the season. Just as hungry as I am, just as hungry as everybody on this stage and everybody in this audience. We’re going to go out there with the mindset that we’re going to be a new version of the Chiefs, that goes up there and dominates the same way the old one did.”
Mahomes just wants to get back on the field and prove that the Chiefs are back.