With Kansas City Chiefs OTAs underway, the biggest and most positive storyline has to be the fact that quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back on the field just five and a half months after suffering a torn ACL.
The overwhelming response to seeing Mahomes back on the field has been one of amazement. He has been able to hit every single milestone along the way of his rehab and, at the moment, looks on track to complete his lofty goal of playing in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
After the latest OTA practice, though, Mahomes detailed a bit more about where he was at in his rehab, noting the wearing of a brace and just how mobile he is able to be right now:
"I wore a brace in college, on the same knee. It's not too different. ... I'm not running & cutting yet. That'll be another adjustment."
So, we know Mahomes is on the field and practicing. But, not being able to run or cut just yet brings up a good point about last year's Chiefs offense and something that ended up being a factor in Kansas City's offseason acquisitions.
Patrick Mahomes' mobility shouldn't be a focal point in the Chiefs' offense when he's 100 percent healthy
The 2025 season was one to forget for many reasons, but one pain point for Chiefs fans was the continued inability to get a ground attack going.
There were a handful of games that Mahomes wound up leading the Chiefs in rushing for that particular day. Kansas City's rushing leader, for all of 2025, ended up being Kareem Hunt with 611 yards. Second in line was Isiah Pacheco with 462 yards.
And then, came Mahomes, at 422.
Last season, Mahomes finished with four separate games of 50 or more rushing yards. In eight games, he had at least 30.
To tell an even clearer story, take this nugget as well: in six games, Mahomes rushed at least five times. He ran it four times in a total of 10 games.
Chiefs fans know this all too well. Mahomes was far too great a part of the team's rushing attack. But, this season, things are going to be much different.
He will eventually get to running and cutting, but the grand idea is that he won't have to use it on the field on Sundays; at least, not nearly as much.
With the arrival of free agent prize Kenneth Walker III and the drafting of Emmett Johnson, the Chiefs' back field looks completely different. Now, Kansas City will be able to fully embrace a rushing attack that should have very little to do with Mahomes taking off.
His 64 rushing attempts in 14 games, last year, should dwindle down to somewhere between 20-30 if all goes according to plan.
Once Mahomes is healthy and is capable of doing everything he once was, the majority of Chiefs fans are hoping for one thing and one thing only: to see him play quarterback and steer far from being an integral part of the rushing attack.
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