Chiefs Receive Encouraging Update from Patrick Mahomes for 2026 Prospects

It's been over a month since Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in Week 15's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Kansas City Chiefs didn't just lose their starting quarterback on that fateful day. They also had to watch as their playoff hopes went out the window, along with the structural integrity of Mahomes's knee tendon.

Technically, KC could have remained alive in the postseason chase. They were down just three points to LA in the fourth quarter, and Mahomes had already gotten them within a few yards of field-goal range. Unfortunately, Gardner Minshew II couldn't get the job done, but it was painfully obvious that the Chiefs' season was doomed, with or without Mahomes under center.

Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Chargers, Khalil Mack — Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles against Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Will Patrick Mahomes be ready for 2026 NFL kickoff?

Once the Kansas City Chiefs were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they were able to get an early jump on their offseason plans. This team showed that it needed all the time it could get for General Manager Brett Veach to devise a strategy to improve the roster. However, Patrick Mahomes' ACL injury threw a wrench in the works.

There was legitimate concern that the superstar quarterback could miss the entirety of the following season. Typically, recovery for such an ailment and the subsequent surgery takes between nine and 11 months for an NFL quarterback. Nine months would have had Mahomes ready in time for the beginning of the 2026 season, but 11 months could have had him returning to a team already on the verge of elimination.

An update from QB1. pic.twitter.com/TwQqqTNvha
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 15, 2026

Speaking to NFL Network's The Insiders, though, Mahomes is optimistic about his chances to play Week 1 and even be practicing before the regular-season kickoff: "It's been going great. I think, obviously, in the long-term, I want to be ready for Week 1. Doctors said that I could be, but I can't predict what's going to happen throughout the process, but that's my goal. And so I'll try to prepare myself and be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions."

"You know, you want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win, and so, obviously, I want to be able to do some stuff in OTAs and get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. I'm excited for the process — it's a long process, but I'm excited for it." The Chiefs will want to ensure they have a Plan B in the case that Mahomes has to miss a game or two to begin the year, or if he has to miss time in the middle of the campaign with a short-term injury, but they should be encouraged by the progress he's seen in his rehabilitation so far.

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