If you were curious about Patrick Mahomes’ performance following his serious knee injury, which happened exactly nine months before the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their 2026 season, you can relax. The quarterback demonstrated his recovery by scoring on a 15-yard run during his team’s first offensive drive against the Denver Broncos. His impressive zigzagging run and dive into the end zone said it all: he’s back.
The outcome of the 2026 season for the Chiefs, and for someone many consider the best quarterback in the NFL, still remains uncertain. However, that opening drive, where Mahomes showed no hesitation about getting hit, certainly made a statement to the rest of the league. It was clear he wasn’t worried about physical contact, showcasing his ability to navigate through defenses, gain critical yardage, and come away unscathed—even after everything his knee has endured.
Mahomes, who will turn 31 soon, hadn’t faced any contact during organized team activities, training camp, or the preseason, as he didn’t participate in any of the Chiefs’ three preseason games. Now that he’s taken a hit in the game, that mental hurdle seems to be behind him.
Wearing a lightweight brace on his knee, Mahomes asserts that it hasn’t limited his movements. He anticipates being able to remove it perhaps later in the season. His injury—a torn ACL and LCL during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers back in December 2025—prompted surgery the very next day, which was intentional. Mahomes said his doctors recommended proceeding with surgery before inflammation from the injury set in.
Undergoing a rigorous rehabilitation regimen, he committed to about seven hours of rehab daily, focusing on strength and conditioning along with team meetings. Rather than returning to Texas for offseason training, he stayed in Kansas City to collaborate closely with the Chiefs’ medical staff. After successfully advancing through practice sessions, he received full clearance and quickly made an impact, scoring a touchdown on that opening drive by running it in himself.
