Tag: Mahomes

Jun 9, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) hands off to Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (9) during the Kansas City Chiefs mandatory mini-camp at the Chiefs practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ extension pushes deal’s worth over $500M

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has agreed to a two-year extension that contains $239 million in new money, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

Mahomes will now be under contract with the Chiefs through the 2033 season and his total contract value rises to $504.75 million. He is the first NFL player to have a contract totaling more than a half billion dollars.

Mahomes’ average annual value of over $63 million is tops in the NFL, surpassing Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s $60 million AAV. Prescott has three seasons remaining on a four-year, $240 million deal.

Mahomes’ extension also has incentives and escalators that could raise the overall package to $522.25 million.

“Over the last decade Patrick has become one of the most iconic, beloved sports figures of all-time,” Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement, according to ESPN. “He has helped lead our franchise to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships, he has been instrumental in shaping the Chiefs brand and putting Kansas City on the world stage, and on top of it all he has been an outstanding role model in the community. Patrick is a generational talent and an elite human being, and I’m so excited he will continue to lead our team into the future.”

In 2020, Mahomes signed a record 10-year, $450 million contract.

Mahomes, 30, is coming off surgery for a torn ACL and LCL in mid-December and is on pace to be ready for the start of the 2026 season.

Last season, Mahomes threw for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 14 games last year. He also ran for a career-high 422 yards and five TDs.

Mahomes had passed for 35,939 yards and 267 touchdowns against just 85 interceptions in 126 career regular-season games since entering the league in 2017. He has rushed for 19 scores.

–Field Level Media

Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Patrick Mahomes, in knee brace, participates in Chiefs’ first practice

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Patrick Mahomes, wearing a large brace on his surgically repaired left knee, participated in the Kansas City Chiefs’ first organized team activities practice on Tuesday.

The team tweeted a video of the three-time Super Bowl MVP backpedaling to simulate taking the ball from a snap, then throwing a pass. The caption read, “QB1” with a clock emoji.

It is unclear how long Mahomes was on the field or the extent of his work, as the practice was not open to the public nor the media.

Mahomes tore his left anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in the Chiefs’ Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, then underwent surgery the following day.

In his first public comments after the operation, Mahomes said in January, looking ahead to the 2026 season, “I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. 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.”

The ligament tears represent the first major injury of Mahomes’ NFL career.

Mahomes, 30, threw for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 14 games last year. He also ran for a career-high 422 yards and five TDs.

A two-time regular-season MVP, Mahomes owns a 95-31 career record as a starter in nine NFL seasons, all with Kansas City. He has a 66.2% completion rate while throwing for 35,939 yards, 267 touchdowns and 85 interceptions. His average of 285.2 passing yards per game is the best in NFL history.

The Chiefs traded for Justin Fields in March to potentially start at quarterback if Mahomes isn’t ready to begin the season. Kansas City drafted quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round out of LSU last month. Chris Oladokun, who went 0-2 as a starter to end last season in Mahomes’ absence, also remains with the team.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) reacts after his touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Chiefs not pushing, prepared for Travis Kelce decision

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Travis Kelce earned patience from the Kansas City Chiefs, who are uncertain two months prior to the NFL draft if their 37-year-old tight end will be on the roster by training camp.

Kelce is weighing whether to return for this 14th season in the league and has debated retirement for the past two offseasons.

“We’ve kind of prepared for either scenario,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday. “We’re trying to position ourselves that either way, we have a plan moving forward.”

Veach said he would be meeting with Kelce’s representatives this week and “you need some sort of timeline and deadline,” but called conversations with his camp “positive.”

Head coach Andy Reid said he routinely is in touch with Kelce. Kelce is owed a $12.5 million roster bonus next month and has a cap number of almost $20 million the Chiefs likely would adjust with any commitment to play in 2026.

He had 851 yards and five touchdowns last season, but a total of 76 receptions was Kelce’s lowest total since he had 72 in 2015. No. 2 tight end Noah Gray also is an unrestricted free agent.

“Travis is the best, he’s an icon and hopefully he comes back,” Veach said. “We’ll just kind of let that process play out. It’s not your typical 27-year-old first-time-in-free agency.

“Travis has done everything. He’s accomplished everything. He’s about to get married, got a lot going on. We’re just going to continue to have positive dialogue and see where this thing ends.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with head coach Andy Reid after a play against the Chicago Bears during the first half of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Chiefs save $43M under 2026 cap by adjusting QB Patrick Mahomes’ contract

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City Chiefs saved more than $43 million under the 2026 salary cap by restructuring quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ deal this week.

Multiple outlets reported the specifics of the base salary conversion from $54.45 million to a 2026 signing bonus to bring his cap number for the coming league year down to $34.65 million from $78.2 million.

Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl winner, is recovering from surgery in December to repair a torn ACL and plans to be ready for the start of the 2026 season. He also has won two NFL Most Valuable Player awards.

The benefit of the restructure does have repercussions down the line.

Kansas City transfers more than $10 million to future cap hits on the Mahomes deal, which expires in 2031. His 2027 cap hit jumps to $85 million.

Mahomes, 30, signed a 10-year, $450 million extension in 2020. The Chiefs can counter the rising cap figures by extending his contract. Mahomes will be 36 when his current deal expires.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes wants to be ready Week 1 of ‘26

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes revealed to reporters Thursday that doctors have told him it’s possible he will be ready for Week 1 of next season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee.

“I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes said in his first comments since the injury. “The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. 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.”

Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL late in a Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, which all but eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention. Kansas City went on to finish 6-11, ending the season on a six-game losing streak, including three without Mahomes.

But Mahomes has reason to be optimistic about his injury recovery, given that the knee damage could have been worse.

“What I got from my doctor is obviously I had the ACL and the LCL, but everything else was clean,” Mahomes said. “As bad as it was, it was as clean as it could be. There’s a lot of little things that could happen around that knee that I didn’t know. So now it’s just about rehabbing and getting the ACL and the LCL right.”

Mahomes underwent surgery in Dallas the day after his injury and began rehab four days later.

The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP has stayed in Kansas City to do most of his rehab with the team’s physical therapist.

“Knowing me, I’m going to push it to the exact limit every single day,” Mahomes said. “There’s places you can’t go yet. You want to but you can’t go yet. And they’re doing it for a reason. It starts with Dr. (Dan) Cooper and his team, and (physical therapist) Julie (Frymyer) and the training room.”

The 2026 season is expected to begin on Thursday, Sept. 10, with most teams playing Sunday, Sept. 13, giving Mahomes about nine months between the injury and the date he’d like to be back.

Mahomes, 30, finished the 2025 season with 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions along with a career-high 422 rushing yards and five scores in 14 games. The ligament tear is the first major injury of his NFL career.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs starting QB Gardner Minshew out with knee injury

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback Gardner Minshew left Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans at Nashville in the second quarter with a left knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

It is the second consecutive week a Chiefs quarterback went down with a knee injury after Patrick Mahomes was injured late in last week’s 16-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes was later diagnosed with two torn ligaments in his left knee.

Minshew was injured on a scramble during Kansas City’s first possession and limped off the field but returned to play the team’s next three possessions. When the Chiefs got the ball at their 36 with 11:39 left in the half, Chris Oladokun replaced Minshew.

Oladokun, who has been on Kansas City’s practice squad the last two years, led a scoring drive that culminated in Harrison Butker’s 54-yard field goal for a 3-2 lead with 7:40 remaining in the half.

Prior to his departure, Minshew completed 3 of 8 passes for 15 yards and had one run for 8 yards. He replaced Mahomes late in last week’s game but threw an interception in a loss that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention.

Prior to Sunday, Oladokun had one career pass attempt good for 5 yards that came last season.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes expected back sooner than you think

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Safe to say, nobody is brave enough to occupy the parking spot reserved for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

His post-op return to team headquarters is only days away.

Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder and Mahomes are scheduled for their first rehab session on Friday, four days after his left knee ACL and LCL surgery Monday night in Dallas. Mahomes formally was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

“They usually wait on the ACLs,” Burkholder said in a media briefing Wednesday before practice. “After seeing the MRI, they said everything he had in this injury was fixable — it was correctable. And it was fixed Monday night by Dr. Cooper. He had no artery damage, no nerve damage, no joint surface damage, no meniscus damage. He’s already started rehab down in Dallas, he was there first thing Tuesday morning. He’ll do that through (Wednesday) and be back here Friday.

“As you know in the past with Patrick and his injuries, he attacks them. He does very well. He’s in that mode right now. I talked to him every day and I know coach (Andy Reid) has too. He’s already on it. He’ll return here Friday and for the majority of the rehab he’ll do it with me and my staff.”

Julie Frymyer, one of four assistant athletic trainers for the Chiefs, again will oversee Mahomes’ recovery. She was integral in rehabbing his high-profile toe and ankle injuries in the past.

Timeline has been the constant question fielded by the Chiefs since Mahomes was hurt Sunday. The short answer is, nobody knows when he’ll be back. History, however, provides some encouraging hints in Mahomes’ case.

“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different. Typically with him, he’s going after it so hard and he’s so in tune with what he does that he does it a little quicker,” Burkholder said. “Ballpark on this thing is nine months. It could be a month or two less, a month or two more. You never know what goes on and everybody is designed differently biomechanically.”

Burkholder said Mahomes is in a protective brace to promote healing post-surgery and the initial focus would be on building muscle and reducing swelling.

He said improved “techniques” in ACL surgeries and rehab could also lead Mahomes to beat the projected return time.

“As a player his mindset is a little different than most,” Burkholder said. “He’s so regimented in what he does. He in here at 6 a.m., he’s the last guy out at night. He’ll take the rehab like that. … When you add up all the little things, that allows the player to get back faster. They don’t heal up any faster, they just get back to performance faster.”

Mahomes passed for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. He has won three Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Remember me? Rashee Rice stars in KC return

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Rashee Rice scored two touchdowns in his first game in more than a year, putting quarterback Patrick Mahomes back in his comfort zone in the Chiefs’ 31-0 victory over the Raiders on Sunday.

Rice caught seven passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns, debuting in 2025 following a six-game suspension for off-field conduct related to his role in a drag-racing incident in Texas. His 2024 season ended with a torn ACL last September.

“It was great to have him back,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “I think you saw the trust that Pat (Mahomes) has in him, which is so important… It was great to have him back in there. The energy he brings is tremendous.”

Mahomes said he and Rice were “a little off” on a few particular plays but credited Rice for the diligent work he’s put in since tearing his ACL in 2024.

“It meant a lot more today. You don’t really notice how much you love something until it’s gone or possibly could be gone,” Rice said. “I was able to get a glimpse of that. I don’t ever want to feel that again.”

Mahomes and Reid said there’s a good chance Rice will only get more involved each week.

“When it comes to the way he moves, the way he runs routes, I have a good feel for where he wants the ball and where to throw it to,” Mahomes said. “He’s been working.”

–Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes against 18-game regular season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Take it from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a playoff regular since entering the NFL, every additional game takes a physical toll.

While commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL owners have discussed expanding the regular season to 18 games, the issue requires collective bargaining with players. Count Mahomes as a “no” if and when the time comes for players to weigh in on an official measure to again expand the regular season.

“I always say the more games, it’s a little bit more taxing on the guys that play the game,” Mahomes said Friday in an interview with CNBC.

Mahomes said the framework of potential proposals subtracting one or more weeks of preseason games and shortening player workout dates in the offseason might not be enough to sway his opinion. The league played a 16-game schedule when Mahomes was drafted and moved to 17 games in 2021. Goodell remarked at the NFL owners meetings that there is a logical next step to 18 games.

“I think that you’d have to find a way to have more bye weeks, more time spread out. I mean, you’ve seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games,” Mahomes said. “So, if there were a way to get to 18 games, I’m not a big fan of it. But if there were a way, I think you got to add some bye weeks in there to give more time for guys’ bodies.”

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said negotiations toward an 18-game schedule are not happening anytime soon.

Howell said in February that “no one wants” an 18th game.

The incentive for players would likely be sharing revenue in some form with the NFL media rights and broadcast agreements up for renegotiation before 2029 if the league opts out of its existing CBS-Paramount deal.

Goodell said this week at the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho that the NFL wasn’t likely to end its partnership with CBS and Paramount.

“We have a two-year period to make that decision. I don’t see that happening, but we have that option,” Goodell said.

–Field Level Media

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) makes a pass during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs bring back QB Bailey Zappe

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Kansas City quarterback room grew by one on Friday as the Chiefs re-signed Bailey Zappe to a one-year deal, multiple outlets reported.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

On Thursday, the Chiefs signed journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew II, recently released by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, Zappe and Minshew will battle for the No. 2 job in Kansas City behind Patrick Mahomes, a role filled by Carson Wentz last season.

Wentz remains a free agent.

Zappe, 25, spent the first part of the 2024 season on the Kansas City practice squad before he was claimed by the Browns on Oct. 22. He started one game with Cleveland — a 35-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 4. He was 16-of-31 passing for 170 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

He previously played for the New England Patriots (2022-23), appearing in 14 games (eight starts). He had a 4-4 record and completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 2,053 yards with 11 TD and 12 picks for the Pats.

–Field Level Media