Patrick Mahomes Is Returning From a Torn ACL. How Have Other QBs Fared After the Injury?

A number of stars are returning from major injuries in 2026, but none bigger than Patrick Mahomes. Last season, Mahomes sustained a torn ACL during the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Chargers, a loss that officially sealed the Chiefs missing the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era.

There aren’t a ton of apt comparisons for Mahomes. Not many Hall of Fame or future Hall of Fame quarterbacks have torn an ACL during their pro career. Players such as John Elway, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers sustained torn ACLs in high school—though Elway didn’t have his knee repaired until retirement and Rodgers didn’t have his knee surgically repaired until he was in college.

Here’s a look at how other quarterbacks have fared after tearing their ACL, and what it could signal for Mahomes as he returns to the field on Monday.

Tom Brady, Patriots (2009)

First game back: 39-for-53 (73.6%), 378 yards, two touchdowns, one interception
First season back: 4,398 yards, 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions (65.7% completion), 96.2 passer rating.

The most comparable player to Mahomes in terms of status is Tom Brady. Like Mahomes, Brady was already an MVP-winning quarterback and a three-time Super Bowl champion when he tore his ACL. Brady went down with an ACL tear in Week 1 of the 2008 season, coming off his first MVP campaign and an undefeated regular season.

Brady was his clutch self in his first game back from the injury, leading two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to win 25–24. Overall, the Patriots went 10–6 in 2009 and lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs, a relatively disappointing result for the lofty standards of the Patriots dynasty.

While there are some eerie parallels between the timeline of Mahomes’s and Brady’s injuries, there are some notable differences, too. Brady had several more months than Mahomes to make his comeback for Week 1 of the following season. He is not a mobile quarterback like Mahomes, so he did not have to get that part of his game back the way Mahomes will.

Joe Burrow, Bengals (2021)

First game back: 20-for-27 (74.1%), 261 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions
First season back: 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, 14 interceptions (70.4% completion), 108.3 passer rating

Joe Burrow was in the midst of a strong rookie season for a struggling Bengals team when he sustained a torn ACL in Week 11 of the 2020 season. Fortunately, the injury did not derail his progress when he returned to the field in Week 1 of the 2021 season as no quarterback has had a better return from a torn ACL than Burrow.

Coming off the injury, Burrow put in a two-touchdown performance to lead the Bengals to an overtime victory over the Vikings while averaging 9.7 yards per attempt. That was just the start for Burrow, who went on to throw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns during his first full NFL season. He led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance, beating Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC championship game along the way.

Daniel Jones, Giants (2024)

First game back: 22-for-42 (52.4%), 186 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions
First season back: 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions (63.3% completion), 79.4 passer rating, plus 67 carries, 265 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns

Unlike the quarterbacks listed above, Daniel Jones’s return from a torn ACL was not smooth. Jones, of course, is a different tier of quarterback than Brady and Burrow, and was returning to a Giants team that was not the same caliber as those Patriots and Bengals squads

Jones began the season completing just 52.4% of his passes and getting sacked five times in a 28–6 loss to the Vikings. He largely struggled throughout his 10 appearances for the Giants, before they ultimately benched and released him. Jones signed with the Vikings, spending the rest of the year in Minnesota as a backup. He redeemed himself the next season after signing with the Colts, but unfortunately sustained a torn Achilles following a historic offensive start.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals (2023)

First game back: 19-for-32 (59.4%), 249 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, plus six carries, 33 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
First season back: 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions (65.7% completion), 89.4 passer rating, plus 44 carries, 244 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns (eight games)

While Murray sustained a torn ACL around a similar time in the season as Mahomes, he took longer to come back. After going down in Week 14 of the 2022 campaign, Murray did not return until Nov. 12, 2023.

Overall, Murray had a good return when he came back from his injury, leading Arizona to a 25–23 win over the Falcons. It was too late to help a 1–8 Cardinals team reach the playoffs, but Murray played solid football, showing off his mobility from his first game back. The Cardinals went 3–5 with him at the helm, and landed a top-five pick in the draft.

Welcome back, Kyler Murray. pic.twitter.com/ku1EAEB2wk
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 12, 2023

Carson Wentz, Eagles (2018)

First game back: 25-for-37 (67.6%), 255 yards, one touchdown, one interception
First season back: 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns, seven interceptions (69.6% completion), 102.2 passer rating (11 games)

Like Jones, Carson Wentz’s return from a torn ACL was bumpy. Wentz was a leading candidate to win MVP when he sustained a torn ACL in Week 14 of the 2017 season, and watched as his teammates went on to win the Super Bowl without him.

Wentz returned in Week 3 of the 2018 season, leading the Eagles to a 20–16 win over the Colts. He performed statistically well throughout the year, though he went just 5–6 as a starter before missing more time due to a back injury. Nick Foles came in again, leading the team to a 3–0 record and postseason win. The Eagles would extend Wentz ahead of the 2019 season, but between injuries, reports about him not being a great teammate and poor play, he was eventually benched during the 2020 season.

Joe Flacco, Ravens (2016)

First game back: 22-for-33 (66.7%), 258 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, 100.3 passer rating
First season back: 4,317 yards, 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions (64.9% completion), 52.1 passer rating

Joe Flacco and the Ravens were in the midst of a rough 2015 campaign when he went down with a torn ACL in Week 11. He returned for Week 1 of the 2016, leading the Ravens to a win over the Bills. The Ravens started the 2016 season hot, earning wins over the Bills, Browns and Jaguars, though Flacco threw three touchdowns to four picks over those games. Baltimore couldn’t feast on the weak for long, however, losing four consecutive games after and finishing the season 8–8. Flacco continued to deal with injuries over the next two years, and was ultimately replaced by rookie Lamar Jackson in 2018.

Carson Palmer, Cardinals (2015)

First game back: 19-for-32 (59.4%), 307 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, 122.8 passer rating
First season back: 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns, 11 interceptions (63.7% completion), 104.6 passer rating

Carson Palmer tore his ACL twice during his career, in the 2005 playoffs and during the 2014 season. Both times, Palmer played really well upon returning from injury, earning Pro Bowl nods in each of the seasons after his ACL tears—even in 2006, despite doctors being concerned he sustained a career-threatening injury.

After Palmer’s second ACL tear, he recorded the best season of his career in 2015, leading the Cardinals to a 13–3 record and NFC championship game appearance, earning second-team All-Pro honors. While the Cardinals were blown out by the Panthers in the NFC title game, it was overall a successful campaign for Palmer & Co., especially for a 36-year-old quarterback coming off his second ACL tear.

Philip Rivers, Chargers (2008)

First game back: 17-for-27 (63%), 217 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, 125.1 passer rating
First season back: 4,009 yards, 34 touchdowns, 11 interceptions (65.3% completion), 105.5 rating

After tearing his ACL in the 2007 divisional round, Philip Rivers famously decided to play through the injury in the 2007 AFC championship game. While the Chargers lost, Rivers did not miss any starts because of the injury. He returned for Week 1 of the 2008 season, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns in a narrow 26–24 loss to the Panthers.

The 2008 season was overall a successful one statistically for Rivers, who tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with Drew Brees and led the NFL in passer rating. And despite the Chargers going only 8–8, they still won the AFC West and a postseason game.

How will Mahomes do in his first game back?

As seen above, plenty of quarterbacks have performed well in their first games back from a torn ACL.

If Mahomes doesn’t have a great first game back in Week 1, it’s possible it’s more so because of his opponent than his knee. Mahomes and the Chiefs will open the season against the Broncos, one of the best teams and defenses in the league.

Mahomes has faced the Sean Payton– and Vance Joseph–led Broncos just twice since they took over in 2024, splitting those matchups. In those two games, he threw a combined 542 yards (271 yards per game), two touchdowns and one pick while completing 65.5% of his passes and taking seven sacks. While the Chiefs have brought in Kenneth Walker III to improve the running game and take some of the load off Mahomes, he still doesn’t have an amazing receiving core to rely on either. And the Broncos defense is relentless, leading the league in sacks in each of the past two seasons.

Of course, underestimating Mahomes is never a wise move. The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever for a reason, and will be plenty motivated to play well in his return and after the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in his career.

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