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The Kansas City Chiefs will open the season against division-champion Denver Broncos, a marquee matchup that has led to speculation that quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on track to return.
Mahomes has spent the offseason rehabbing a torn ACL that cut short his 2025 season. While both Mahomes and the team have expressed optimism that he will be ready to start the season, there is not yet a clear timeline on when he could return.
One NFL insider believes the blockbuster Week 1 game is a strong sign that the league has confidence Mahomes will return — though the league said that is not the case.
NFL Insists No Insider Information on Patrick Mahomes’ Recovery
In a breakdown of the schedule, NFL.com writer Kevin Patra suggested that the league knew Mahomes would be available to play before scheduling such a big game in Week 1.
“The NFL wouldn’t pit the Broncos versus the Chiefs in Week 1 if they believed we’d see Justin Fields against Denver backup Jarrett Stidham — Nix is also dealing with an injury,” Patra wrote. “Coach Andy Reid was asked on NFL Network on Thursday whether the league office reached out to the Chiefs for an update on Mahomes’ recovery before finalizing the schedule.”
Patra noted that Reid said he kept his cards close to the vest.
“I don’t give them anything, doggonit. You give them too much, then you’re going to be playing over in Australia, doggonit,” Reid said.
But Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, said the league had no inside information when finalizing the schedule.
“We didn’t know anything more than anyone else,” Schroeder said.
Chiefs Owner Sparked Controversy Over Scheduling Question
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt had already faced scrutiny for suggesting earlier this offseason that the league would hold off on scheduling marquee games until Mahomes was ready to return. In an interview with Front Office Sports, Hunt suggested that the NFL would hold off on scheduling the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks until they were sure Mahomes would be available.
“I don’t think that’s on the table anymore for us to be in Seattle [for the opener],” Hunt said. “From a league standpoint, I think there would be some concern whether our quarterback will be ready to go. My guess is the league won’t want to take that risk.”
The remarks sparked controversy, with some seeing it as an attempt to exert influence over the scheduling process and protect the Chiefs from more difficult games while Mahomes was recovering.
It remains unclear whether Mahomes will be ready to start the season, though Reid praised the Chiefs quarterback for his dedication to rehab.
“Nobody is spending more time than he is rehabbing,” Reid said. “He spends seven hours here going through it. He hasn’t missed a day, and he wants more, all the things that are Patrick Mahomes. Let’s see where we are at as we go forward, as we get a little bit closer to the game. Roger Goodell will probably use this as motivation for the two quarterbacks, both of them have been banged up a little bit this offseason. He’s doing his best coaching to get them back in there, I think.”
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