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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 07: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass the ball against the Houston Texans during the first quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs expressed confidence that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be ready to start the season after suffering a torn ACL, and it appears he’s on track to meet that timeline.
ESPN’s Nate Taylor reported that Mahomes was able to attend the start of practices on Tuesday and participated, putting his rehab on track with the quarterback’s optimistic timeline that he shared earlier this offseason.
Patrick Mahomes Takes Major Step Forward in Rehab Process
Taylor reported on Tuesday that Mahomes was able to take the field with teammates and “did participate in some form or fashion” in the non-contact practices.
As Bleacher Report’s Andrew Peters noted, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said earlier this month that he was hopeful Mahomes would be able to participate in some fashion.
“If he can do some things, [he’ll do it]. Phase 2 [of the offseason program], remember, there’s no contact and there’s no offense versus defense,” Reid said. “It’s Phase 3 that you get into that. … He’s in a position where he can do everything, I think.”
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach shared more optimism earlier in the month, saying in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the quarterback was “way ahead of schedule” in his rehab.
Differing Views on Return Timetable for Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes said just after the completion of the 2025 season that he expected to complete the rehab and be ready to take the field again for the start of the next season.
“I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process,” Mahomes said, via ESPN. “That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
Reid was a bit more guarded, saying this month that Mahomes would need to show continued progress in order to start the season.
“It’s a day-to-day thing, and as long as he keeps making progress forward, maybe we’ll have a chance to see him in the first game. But we’ll play that as we go,” Reid said.
The Chiefs made a big investment in their quarterback room this offeason, trading for veteran Justin Fields as an insurance policy in case Mahomes is not ready to start Week 1. Reid said the team wanted to make sure they were well-protected in case Mahomes needs longer to complete his rehab.
“We snuck out and got a good quarterback to back [Mahomes] up,” Reid said. “If [Mahomes is] not able to make it for the beginning of the season, then we know we’ve got a legitimate backup there that can go win games for us.”
Fields added that he was excited to work with Reid.
“He’s been in the NFL a long time, has had a lot of success and, you know, very smart,” Fields said. “And so that was … an exciting factor for me when I came here.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty