For all of the roster changes, storylines with stars, and general interest around the Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL's most successful franchise of the last decade, one narrative reigns supreme: the health and availability of Patrick Mahomes. The team's franchise face went down with a torn ACL and LCL in a game against the L.A. Chargers late last season. Since then, all eyes and ears have been tuned into any bits of information they can find to hear more about his recovery timeline.
The Chiefs are going to go as far as Mahomes can take them in 2026, which is why everyone wants to know when he will be back. Positive reports target Week 1 with a chance to kick the rust off before then, but such projections are easy to make when it's spring and a player looks good in shorts and a t-shirt.
Here's our full rundown with the latest updates as they break before a new season begins, the timeline of Mahomes' injury, and more. Bookmark the page and come back for all the latest news.
Patrick Mahomes' recovery tracker
- Patrick Mahomes' recovery snapshot
- Patrick Mahomes' injury timeline
- How Mahomes' injury happened
- What is an ACL/LCL tear, and how long is recovery?
- Who plays if Mahomes isn't ready?
- Key dates ahead for Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes' recovery snapshot
- Status:Â Rehabbing ahead of Chiefs training camp
- Projected return:Â Week 1 (hopeful)
- Date of initial injury: December 14, 2025
Patrick Mahomes' injury timeline
- Late June 2026: Albert Breer reports Mahomes is trending toward full 11-on-11 clearance when camp opens.
- June 9-11, 2026: Handles 7-on-7 work at minicamp while Reid holds him out of 11-on-11 periods.
- Early June 2026: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports Mahomes wants preseason action ahead of a Week 1 return.
- Late May 2026: Takes every dropback and 7-on-7 rep at OTAs, though still not running or cutting.
- Mid-May 2026: Mahomes participates in the Chiefs' first voluntary workout, five months after surgery.
- March 31, 2026: Andy Reid says at league meetings he'd "never bet against" Mahomes starting Week 1.
- March 12, 2026: Mahomes walks at the Big 12 tournament without a brace or crutches.
- March 2026: Jay Glazer reports growing optimism about a Week 1 return.
- Jan. 15, 2026: Mahomes tells reporters rehab is "going great" and commits to attending OTAs.
- Late December 2025: Mahomes returns to Kansas City to begin rehab with trainer Julie Frymyer.
- Dec. 17, 2025: Rick Burkholder, Chiefs VP of sports medicine and performance, says surgery went well and outlines a roughly nine-month recovery timeline.
- Dec. 15, 2025: Undergoes surgery in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper, who also repairs a torn LCL.
- Dec. 14, 2025: Tears his ligaments in his left knee late in a Week 15 loss to the Chargers.
How Mahomes' injury happened
With less than two minutes remaining in a 16-13 loss to the Chargers in Week 15, a defeat that officially ended the team's playoff hopes for the first time since 2014, Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket to his right. He got the throw off just before Chargers defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand dragged him down, but his left knee buckled as he planted. Mahomes immediately grabbed at it in obvious pain, and he needed trainers under each arm to limp off the field. An MRI that night confirmed a torn ACL, and subsequent reports mentioned a torn LCL as well.
What is an ACL/LCL tear, and how long is recovery?
The ACL and LCL are two of the four major stabilizing ligaments in the knee, and Mahomes managed to tear both on one play. Back when the injury first happened, we spoke with Dr. Ayoosh Pareek, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon who has served as specialist for the Mets and Knicks, to learn how the LCL injury complicates things. What he told us is that this usually means more bracing, restricted motion, and limited weight on the leg in the early weeks, which can add two to four months to the typical 9-12 month ACL timeline.
That said, Dr. Pareek also noted that lost time can be made up later in Mahomes' rehab process, once the ligaments have healed and the work shifts to rebuilding strength and the control needed for cutting. It seems as if the Chiefs quarterback has done exactly that. He underwent immediate surgery within roughly 24 hours of the injury, and he's hit every checkpoint at or ahead of pace. Further reports seem to confirm the confident timeline for his return by Week 1.
Who plays if Mahomes isn't ready?
Brett Veach made sure there was a plan in place fairly quickly. After letting Gardner Minshew leave in free agency to Arizona on a one-year deal, the Chiefs sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Jets for Justin Fields. It was a departure from the low-cost approach of one-year contracts for veterans (Blaine Gabbert, Minshew, Carson Wentz) that's defined the QB2 role for years. It was also a clear acknowledgment that Mahomes' backup could be the team's starter in Week 1.
Fields completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,259 yards with 7 touchdowns against 1 interception in 9 games with the Jets last season. He also added 383 rushing yards and 4 scores on the ground. Andy Reid has made clear the Chiefs didn't bring Fields in to be a gadget guy, calling him a legitimate NFL starting quarterback. If Fields opens the season under center because Mahomes is not yet ready, expect the Chiefs' offense to lean into his mobility—think option looks paired with Kenneth Walker III, rollouts, and quick-game concepts—rather than asking Fields to mimic Mahomes in the pocket.
Key dates ahead for Mahomes
- July 24: Chiefs open training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. Rookies and quarterbacks typically report a few days early, so Mahomes could be on campus before then.
- July 29-30: First on-field practice (season ticket holders only), followed by the first public session on the 30th. This will be our look at how much Mahomes is doing.
- August 15: The Chiefs' preseason opener vs. the Rams at Arrowhead. If Mahomes gets the dress rehearsal he reportedly wants, this is the earliest candidate.
- August 22: The second preseason game at Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.
- August 28: The preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at home.
- September 14: Chiefs host the Denver Broncos for Week 1, almost exactly nine months after the injury.
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