Patrick Mahomes Has Torn ACL in His Left Knee, Chiefs ‘Exploring Surgical Options’

Mahomes suffered the injury late in a loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a torn ACL in his left knee and will undergo surgery. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Patrick Mahomes has torn the ACL in his left knee.

The Chiefs announced the diagnosis hours after Sunday’s game.

Mahomes had an MRI after suffering the injury late in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Chargers. The two-time MVP was injured on a first-and-10 play when he rolled to his left and threw the ball away. Los Angeles defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand grabbed Mahomes’s legs, and his left knee appeared to buckle. He remained down for several minutes before being helped from the field, then to the locker room.

The Chiefs announced the news on social media:

Injury Update on QB Patrick Mahomes:

An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today’s game. Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options.

There is no timeline for Mahomes’s return from injury, but his recovery could stretch into the 2026 season.

Mahomes has been remarkably durable throughout his nine-year career. After becoming the Chiefs’ starter in 2018, he has played in 125 of a possible 130 games. He has been the best quarterback in the NFL during that time. He is a two-time first-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler, who has led Kansas City to five Super Bowls, winning three of them.

Sunday was already a tough day for the Chiefs. Their 16-13 loss to the Chargers eliminated them from the playoffs. It will be the first time they will miss the postseason since 2014. Mahomes with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and has led the Chiefs to at least the AFC title game in each year since taking over as the team’s starter.

Recovery from an ACL injury is typically projected for at least nine months. That would put Mahomes’s return sometime in September.

His recovery will be closely monitored this offseason as the Chiefs attempt to reload and return to the top of the AFC playoff picture in 2026. They won’t be able to do it without their star quarterback.

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