The best possible news for Kansas City Chiefs fans heading into the 2026 season is that it's looking like Patrick Mahomes will be able to play in Week 1. That didn't feel like a guarantee when his injury first happened but it's trending in that direction, which is great news.
We don't know how Mahomes will look in those early games after so much time away but having him on the field is better than not having him out there. Former Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards had some advice for the Chiefs and what they should tell Mahomes when he gets back on the field.
"You're gonna have to, you know, really sit down with him and say 'Look for the best interest, not only your career, but this organization, this is how we got to do it early and we'll see as it goes, but we're gonna get the ball out. We're gonna give you one or two reads, if it's not there, throw it away'," Edwards said on Good Morning Football. "Don't try to don't play hero ball... Let's just get used to playing... He's missed football games... I mean he hasn't played live football and all of a sudden it's live... This is what you're gonna do. Bring you along slow and as the season goes on, you put a little bit more on his plate."
Herm Edwards gives Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs solid advice
Honestly, this is pretty good advice from Edwards. Mahomes hasn't played in a live football game since December when his injury occurred and it's going to take some time for him to get used to being in that environment again.
The "Don't play hero ball" advice is going to be hard for Mahomes to follow considering that's what he does best but hopefully, if that's what Andy Reid and the coaching staff ask him to avoid, he listens. The Chiefs will be a better team with a healthy Mahomes and if he's trying to play hero ball right out of the gate, that will only increase the chances of a setback.
Mahomes needs to dip his feet back into the pool first and then, when he's one hundred percent healthy, he can go back to playing the way he used to. But, fans might also discover that Mahomes has to play a completely different style of football after his injury. He might not be able to scramble around and keep plays alive anymore and if that's the case, then hopefully he can find other ways to win games for this team.
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