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Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s too early in the summer to know for certain if Patrick Mahomes will be ready to roll come Week 1 in mid-September, but the Kansas City Chiefs got the best three-word update on the QB’s knee rehabilitation they could hope for at this stage of the game.

“Ahead of schedule,” Albert Breer of SI wrote of Mahomes on Monday, June 22.

“That should set up for the Chiefs to have their three-time champion triggerman back in the saddle for Week 1 … at least, that’s the hope,” Breer continued.

Kansas City also spent a sixth-round draft pick to guard against any setbacks in Mahomes’ process, sending that asset to the New York Jets in return for Justin Fields — a former first-rounder with 53 starts on his resumé across a five-year NFL career.

Rashee Rice Trending in Right Direction After Release From Jail

GettyKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice.

The bigger questions facing the Chiefs’ offense now shift to who Mahomes will target in the pass game.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice has been the subject of multiple pieces of good news since he emerged from his 30-day jail sentence in Texas earlier this month.

“I was told that was an issue because he was worried about maybe getting an infection while he was in prison, because he couldn’t rehab like he normally would,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported June 16. “He did emerge with no major issues, so he’s gonna rehab that over the next six weeks, get ready for training camp.”

Four days later, another reporter updated Rice’s health status with a positive prognostication.

“I’m told Rice might not even face a physically unable to perform (PUP) designation at the start of camp,” Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports wrote. “It all comes down to the work he’ll put in for the next six weeks.”

All signs point to Rice returning healthy in plenty of time for Week 1, which is doubly good news for the offense considering Mahomes is ahead of schedule. Wideout Xavier Worthy is also healthy after an injury-plagued year in 2025, while tight end Travis Kelce is back for his 14th NFL season.

Still, even if all three of Mahomes’ top targets are ready to go Week 1, the team will remain a candidate to add a player like Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen to the mix and provide its all-time quarterback with some more optionality in the pass game.

Chiefs Defense Appears Markedly Improved, Particularly Along D-Line

Kansas City’s defense is also trending up after a strong draft in April that put its focus exclusively on that side of the football through the first three picks, all of which came inside the top 40.

“The defensive line looks significantly different — and deeper — than it did a year ago,” Breer wrote. “Peter Woods and R Mason Thomas are trending toward having big roles, and Ashton Gillotte, a 2025 third-rounder, has shown the flexibility to play inside and outside, and even some at Sam (strong-side) linebacker.”

The Chiefs also added standout rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, who they traded up to pick No. 6 to secure in Round 1.