‘Doctors are holding me back’ — Patrick Mahomes sets bold return date target as fresh injury update raises stakes for Chiefs’ playoff push
Patrick Mahomes has issued an update on his rehab progress after sustaining a torn ACL and LCL as he plans to return for the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Patrick Mahomes wants to be back out on the field by Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
The Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback has revealed in a new interview his – possibly ambitious – plans to be ready to go by Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.
Mahomes is dealing with the first major injury of his professional career
The three-time Super Bowl champion suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during the final drive of the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in mid-December.
Kansas City were dealt a double-blow as the 16-13 defeat officially eliminated them from the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2014.
With all eyes now on 2026, Mahomes has issued an update on his rehabilitation progress, one month on from his surgery to repair his knee.
“It’s been going great. I mean, obviously, I think the long term, I mean I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes said on Thursday during a virtual availability.
“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 to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy, and giving us the best chance to win.
“So obviously, hopefully, able to do some stuff in OTAs and then get to training camp and hopefully be able to do a lot there. So I’m excited for the process. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.
This was Mahomes’ first major injury of his pro football career, with an injury of his magnitude having an estimated recovery timeline of around nine months following surgery.
“Rehab’s going great so far, just hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do, getting the strength and the range, mobility back.
“So, that’s been going great, been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far. [Chiefs assistant athletic trainer] Julie [Frymyer] has been crushing it, pushing me.
The Chiefs were dealt a double blow as Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury on the same day they were eliminated from playoff contention
Mahomes hopes to be out on the field orchestrating the offense in Week 1 of the 2026 season
“The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to, and I just maximize those, and they hold me back because I always want to go a little bit further. So, it’s been going great.”
One last dance with Mahomes, Kelce and Reid?
Having admitted that his doctors have to hold him back from pushing too hard in his recovery, Mahomes also dissected what went so wrong for the Chiefs throughout the 2025 season.
“For myself, I look at the red zone interceptions I threw,” Mahomes shared. “I think offensively we weren’t consistent enough.”
In 14 outings under center, in which the Chiefs went 6-8, Mahomes toggled 3,587 passing yards albeit at a career-low 62.7 pass completion percentage for 22 touchdowns – another career-low – and 11 interceptions.
“We’ve got to be better. That starts with me,” Mahomes added. “We’re all motivated to be better next year.”
Whilst Mahomes is aiming for a Week 1 return in 2026, whether long-time teammate Travis Kelce will be joining him still remains uncertain.
Could Kelce and Mahomes run it back one last time?
The 36-year-old all-time great tight end is still weighing up the possibility of retirement after yet another season to forget.
But it appears that his decision will hinge of that of KC head coach Andy Reid, who for now, will continue at the helm.
Whether or not this will prompt Kelce to give it one more season in what has been a sure-fire Hall of Fame career, though, remains to be seen.
