Tag: Patrick Mahomes

Feb 2, 2020; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Chiefs owner: Patrick Mahomes’ rehab ‘ahead of schedule’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is “ahead of schedule” in his return from a knee injury, according to team owner Clark Hunt.

Mahomes, 30, tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in a Dec. 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The two-time NFL MVP sat out the rest of the season and the Chiefs (6-11) missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

“By every indication, Patrick is ahead of schedule, and he’s worked really hard to be ahead of schedule,” Hunt said this week at the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix. “Knowing how that plays out in terms of being ready for contact, I don’t think any of us can speculate. But he’s doing fantastic, and we certainly hope we’re going to bounce back this year. We absolutely think we’re a playoff team again, for sure.”

With Mahomes’ timetable uncertain, Clark said the NFL isn’t likely to choose the Chiefs to play in the NFL kickoff game on Wednesday, Sept. 9, against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Seattle.

“I don’t think that’s on the table anymore for us to be in Seattle (for the opener),” he told Front Office Sports. “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.”

Mahomes has guided the Chiefs to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships since being drafted 10th overall in 2017. He is 95-31 as a starter in the regular season and 17-4 in the postseason.

The other quarterbacks on the Kansas City roster are Justin Fields, Jake Haener and Chris Oladokun.

–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

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes posts video of recovery progress

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted a video of himself throwing a football during a workout on Wednesday, approximately three months removed from surgery to repair THE ACL and LCL in his left knee.

Wearing a compression sleeve on his left leg, Mahomes performed a dropback and planted his right foot before throwing the ball while at an indoor facility during the short clip on his Instagram account.

“Day by Day!” Mahomes wrote his Instagram story. “Felt Great being able to throw the ball around today!”

Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in Kansas City’s 16-13 setback to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14. The Chiefs went on to finish 6-11, ending the season on a six-game losing streak, including three without Mahomes.

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 is targeting a return for the start of the NFL season, which will begin on Sept. 9.

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 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

Travis Kelce in disbelief over Chiefs losing Patrick Mahomes

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Suspended in disbelief, Travis Kelce said he expected Patrick Mahomes to shake off his injury and rally the Kansas City Chiefs to a win last Sunday.

But as reality began to sink in and Mahomes limped to the locker room, the bigger picture is potentially even more devastating to the longtime teammates.

“And on a freakish play to see 15 go down like that, man, it f——, it was almost like it wasn’t real,” Kelce said on the “New Heights” podcast released Wednesday.

“And s— just sucks, man. He’s a warrior, man. I’m telling you. This guy’s played through everything, battled through everything, has been crowned champion because he’s battled through everything, and he’s gonna battle through this. It’s the only way this guy is wired, man. He’s a fearless, fearless warrior when it comes to this football thing, and he’s gonna make sure that he comes back stronger than ever.”

Whether Kelce, 36, returns to the Chiefs next season unlikely is to be officially determined until the offseason, he said. But retirement squarely was in the picture as an option weighed the past two offseasons, albeit briefly.

Should Kelce step away, Sunday’s loss to the Chargers and the image of Mahomes limping away from the Arrowhead Stadium playing field is blazed into the minds of the tight end and Chiefs fans.

Kansas City (6-8) might be without Mahomes to start next season either way. Typical recovery from reconstructive lateral collateral and anterior cruciate ligament surgery is 10-12 months.

“Obviously, we lost our quarterback, man. Patty Mahomes, our guy, our brother, our fearless leader, our face of the franchise, and, to an ACL,” Kelce said on the podcast. “It’s never easy seeing your guys go down. We had a bunch of guys get hurt this past game, and we fought, man. We fought.”

The Chiefs went for a Super Bowl three-peat last February, but the questions at that time of the year in 2026 will all be pointed to which pieces are still around for the future.

Kelce’s place in team and NFL history is secured. He broke Priest Holmes’ all-time franchise touchdown record in November and Mahomes-to-Kelce already is the record-holder for postseason touchdowns by a quarterback and receiver. He’s currently fifth all-time in the NFL for touchdowns by a tight end with 85, four behind Jimmy Graham (89) for fourth place.

Kelce was targeted consistently by Gardner Minshew II when he entered for the fallen Mahomes last week. He totaled seven receptions for 70 yards.

With three games remaining, Kelce has 798 receiving yards, and would clear 1,000 for the eighth time in his career by averaging 67.3 yards the next three weeks.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes visiting Dallas for second opinion on ACL

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is heading to Dallas for a second opinion on his left knee injury after initial testing revealed a torn ACL.

Head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes would visit Dr. Dan Cooper in Dallas and then attack his plan for surgery and recovery.

In general, players who suffer major injuries that require surgery seek a second opinion. Reid said the additional medical input is not a sign the Chiefs fear additional ligament damage.

“Most guys get a second opinion. That’s just part of it,” Reid said.

Mahomes was injured running away from pressure Sunday when he was hit on his left leg from behind by pursuing Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.

“I’ve had a good visit with him a couple of different times. He’s in a good place,” Reid said Monday of Mahomes. “He feels like he let people down, but he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what’s real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery, wherever it might be, and move on from there.”

Typical recovery from ACL reconstruction would likely put the Chiefs in position to need another quarterback next year, at the very least as insurance Mahomes will not be available for the start of the regular season.

Gardner Minshew entered Sunday’s game when Mahomes was injured and was driving the Chiefs for a potential game-tying field goal when his pass intended for tight end Travis Kelce was intercepted.

Reid said Monday he has a “ton of confidence” Minshew can do the job. Backup Chris Oladokun, 28, has been on the practice squad since 2022.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes injured vs. Chargers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers with under two minutes remaining due to an apparent left knee injury.

Mahomes was scrambling outside of the pocket when he was taken down from behind by the Chargers’ Da’Shawn Hand. He remained on the turf grabbing his left knee before he was replaced by Gardner Minshew.

The Chiefs trailed 16-13 and possessed the ball near midfield at the time of the injury. Minshew’s fifth pass attempt in relief of Mahomes was a game-ending interception.

Mahomes completed 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards and opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 12-yard rushing touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Patrick Mahomes says dwindling playoff odds won’t affect Chiefs’ fight

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Patrick Mahomes has won the AFC West and made at least the AFC Championship Game in each of his first eight seasons as an NFL starter with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The first of those streaks came to an end with Sunday night’s 20-10 home loss to the Houston Texans. Kansas City has been eliminated from AFC West title contention, snapping its streak of nine consecutive division crowns.

The second also is in serious danger. The Chiefs fell to 6-7 and to 10th in the AFC playoff picture with the loss. With four games to play, Kansas City is two games back of Houston for the seventh and final playoff spot, with the Texans also holding the tiebreaker thanks to Sunday’s win.

“We know the (playoff) chances are getting lower and lower, but I know the guys on this team are going to give everything they have, every opportunity we get,” Mahomes said after Sunday’s loss. “I know we’re not winning games, but that mindset the guys have in this locker room, in the games that we’re not winning, you can never question the fight of this team.

“Obviously, we’re not executing at the right moments and we’re not making those plays, but at the end of the day you can never question that, and I think you’ll see that for these last four weeks.”

Mahomes, a two-time MVP in 2018 and 2022 and six-time Pro Bowl selection who turned 30 in September, has not seen a personal drop off in production this season. With 3,398 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, he’s on pace for his most in each category since his last MVP season.

However, the Chiefs have battled a host of offensive line injuries and a lot of their talent, like 36-year-old tight end Travis Kelce, isn’t getting any younger.

Kansas City’s last four games are against two division opponents currently playoff eligible in the Denver Broncos (11-2) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) and the two bottom teams in the AFC in the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) and Tennessee Titans (2-11).

The Chiefs play host to the Chargers on Sunday after losing to Los Angeles at Brazil to open the season.

–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

Texas Tech alum and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attends a press conference at Jones AT&T Stadium, Friday, August 23, 2024.

Patrick Mahomes enters high school HOF, partners with Texas schools

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Three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes was among nine people enshrined in the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday — and he left a piece of himself in his home state.

Mahomes played at Whitehouse High School, near Tyler, Texas, and went on to Texas Tech before the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Mahomes announced on Instagram after the ceremony that he and his sponsor, Adidas, will be partnering with 15 high schools, including his alma mater.

“Whitehouse, Texas is where it all began,” Mahomes said. “It’s an honor to be inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.”

He continued:

“As a part of this recognition, I’m proud to announce that @adidasfballus and I are signing 15 high schools to Team Mahomes that will represent my Gladiator logo on uniform, starting with Whitehouse High School. This is just the beginning.”

Mahomes played football, basketball and baseball at Whitehouse, graduating in 2014. As a senior, he passed for 4,619 yards and 50 touchdowns, and he also ran for 948 yards and 15 scores.

Last summer, Texas Tech signed on to the Gladiator team, becoming the first program to have the logo featured on official collegiate apparel.

Other benefits available to the high school team under the partnership were not announced.

Also enshrined Saturday was Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. He played at Copperas Cove High School, near Waco, Texas, before enrolling at Baylor in 2008.

–Field Level Media