The Kansas City Chiefs' 2025 season did not go according to plan. Rather than try to bounce back after getting walloped in Super Bowl 59, the Chiefs won just six games and lost Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending injury late in the year. That was the cherry on top of a craptastic season.
Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in a late-season game against the Chargers and there's been some debate about when he'll be able to return to the lineup. Everyone is trying to play doctor and form their own opinions about when Mahomes might be back, but Mahomes is clearly determined to not miss a single game this year.
Mahomes recently posted on his Instagram story of him throwing a football. This, as you can imagine, has Chiefs fans absolutely losing their minds because if he's doing it right now, what's to stop him from doing it in less than six months when the 2026 NFL season kicks off?
Chiefs fans can’t believe how fast Patrick Mahomes is bouncing back
Mahomes' caption on the video is "Day by day! Felt Great being able to throw the ball around today!" with a target emoji and a clock emoji. That sure sounds like a man feeling comfortable in his recovery.
The opening week in the 2026 regular season is slated for the second weekend in September and if Mahomes is already throwing, that feels like a good sign that he'll be back on the field for whoever K.C. plays that first week. Of course, there's more to being able to return after a significant injury than just throwing but this is a good sign for the Chiefs and the fans for sure.
The Chiefs simply aren't the same team without Mahomes in the lineup so the sooner he's back, the sooner this team can put the ugliness of 2025 behind them and hopefully return to being a Super Bowl contender.