A fourteen seconds clip of Patrick Mahomes walking into the training camp has sent fans into a full panic about his knee. Seven months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL, the two-time MVP is trying to get back to being the player who has defined the last decade of the NFL. And right now, every step he takes is getting studied like game film. This one turned out to be a false alarm.

“QB1 clocking into camp ⏰[Patrick Mahomes],” the Chiefs wrote on the X post as they showed a visual of the star quarterback entering the facility at Missouri State University. 

Fans zeroed in on his left leg, which looked noticeably thinner than his right in the clip. But the likelier explanation has nothing to do with knee.

Mahomes has carried a large tattoo covering much of his lower left leg since 2022, dark ink that can flatten the leg’s natural highlights and shading on camera, especially at the angle and lighting of a quick walking clip. Muscle atrophy is possible after a major injury, but typically follows a long stretch of inactivity, and Mahomes has done the opposite for eight straight months, training daily and even bringing in Tom Brady during his rehab.

During a Week 15 match against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in the left knee. The season-ending injury forced him under the knife. He spent the later days training consistently and regaining his strength. Now, the quarterback kept his focus on shedding the rust and building confidence in his surgically repaired knee. 

The clearer picture came once he actually took the field. Wearing the brace he’s had on since OTAs, Mahomes looked sharp in throwing drills and moved fluidly through his reps, enough that much of the early worry faded once fans saw him in motion rather than just walking to the building.

Ever since Mahomes came out of surgery, he aimed to return by the first week of the 2026 season. Right now, the Chiefs are slated to clash against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. The two-time MVP even brought in help from Tom Brady during his rehabilitation where Brady made things interesting through competition and aided in Mahomes’ recovery. And that was reflected during the OTAs. 

“You just have to build that confidence back, and I’m glad I get to do that from Day 1 of training camp,” Mahomes told Fox Sports. “I didn’t want to have to get only a couple of weeks of practice in and then have to go play a game. I wanted to build it up, see how training camp goes as we gradually build, and so I think that’ll help me get back to where I need to be.” 

Even former Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne stood in support of Mahomes’ return. However, the recent video by the Chiefs raised some questions. 

Fans express concern over Patrick Mahomes’ limp

As soon as the Chiefs released the video on X, fans began flooding the comments section with their concerns. Some observers felt the angle of his leg during the walk was unnatural. “That leg looks twisted, not a good sign 😳,” one fan wrote. “That gait with the left leg doesn’t look too good. Definitely skinnier,” another fan added. 

Some fans even claimed that Mahomes’ leg looked atrophied. “Anyone see some muscle atrophy or is it me,” a fan commented. However, that’s just speculation because atrophy can occur only after a prolonged period of inactivity following a major injury. But Mahomes was hell-bent on training and recovering through the last eight months. 

Meanwhile, the combination of a slight hitch in his step and the visible leanness pushed people to believe he was limping. “Limping and look how skinny that left leg is 😬,” one fan wrote. “Noticeable limp! Please let him recover for a full season,” one more claimed. The fans were simply afraid of losing their generational talent to a secondary injury.  

Mahomes will get his first real test in front of a crowd on August 15, when the Chiefs open their preseason at home against the Los Angeles Rams. Andy Reid hasn’t committed to how much he’ll play, and the team is expected to take his workload day by day through the rest of camp. But that game will be the first time fans see him move against live pressure rather than in a scripted walkthrough, and it’s likely to settle the leg debate far more convincingly than any arrival clip.