Mahomes’ Surgery Reportedly Repaired More Than ACL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2026 NFL season begins the weekend of Sunday, Sept. 13, and the Chiefs will take every day they can get. Their clock has already started.

That’s because, little more than 24 hours after ending his 2025 season, Patrick Mahomes began the rest of his career on Monday afternoon.

He launched his recovery process by completing successful surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, the Chiefs announced Monday night. And according to insider Ian Rapoport, surgery also repaired a torn LCL in the same joint.

More context: Patrick Mahomes also tore his LCL, along with his ACL, sources say. While that can complicate recovery, it doesn’t necessary extend his rehab longer than 9 months or so. https://t.co/aap0zeHK5d
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2025

Surgeon oversees Cowboys, Real Madrid

Dr. Dan Cooper, one of the world’s most respected authorities in sports medicine, performed the procedure in Dallas. After completing his MRI and consulting with Chiefs physicians in Kansas City, Mahomes flew to Dallas to get a second opinion from the Cowboys’ team orthopedist, Cooper.

Athletes typically take more than 24 hours before undergoing surgery on torn knee ligaments, usually to allow swelling to subside. But every injury is different, and Mahomes is not the typical athlete. And Rapoport said the LCL damage isn’t expected to affect the return timeline, usually 9-12 months.

tom brad — Dec. 27, 2009; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) raises his arm after a touchdown pass during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Head coach Andy Reid on Monday said he didn’t believe the extent of damage moved past the quarterback’s ACL, leading to speculation that the LCL damage may have been discovered during surgery. Still, the head coach said he wasn’t surprised Mahomes sought a second opinion.

“These guys normally do that,” Reid said Monday afternoon. “Most guys get second opinions. Probably put it up as much as probably over 90 percent of the guys do this. That's just part of it.”

Kickoff Weekend is 271 days away

Part of it is also a grueling rehabilitation process, and Mahomes would be the first to point out that a Sept. 13 opener is only 271 days away. The Chiefs confirmed Monday night that rehabilitation would begin immediately. And Reid said, knowing his quarterback, Mahomes will dive head first into his comeback.

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

As he goes through rehab, Gardner Minshew will audition over the final three regular-season games for the same role he has this year as Mahomes’ backup. While Minshew will compartmentalize, he’s still frustrated that the Chiefs couldn’t achieve more success to this point in 2025.

Minshew said he sees no dropoff in the Chiefs’ effort, that they’ll continue to lay everything on the line despite being eliminated from the postseason for the first time since 2014.

Injury Update on QB Patrick Mahomes:

Patrick Mahomes successfully underwent surgery in Dallas this evening with Dr. Dan Cooper to repair the tear in his left ACL. Mahomes will begin his rehab process immediately.
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 16, 2025

“We got guys doing that every week,” Minshew said after Sunday’s loss. “I think Pat leads the charge of that, puts it out there every week. I mean, we got so many guys that are battling. That's what this time of year is about.

“It's been awesome to see how many guys go give themselves a chance, to give our team a chance. And look for guys to continue to do that.”

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