Patrick Mahomes has officially begun the long road back, and the Chiefs believe it could end sooner than many expect.
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Kansas City's star quarterback started rehab this week after undergoing surgery Monday night to repair tears to both his ACL and LCL in his left knee. The procedure was performed in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper and, according to the team, went as planned.
Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder said Wednesday that while the typical recovery timeline is around nine months, there is room for variation.
"Every player is different," Burkholder said. "Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less."
That puts Mahomes on track, at least theoretically, to be ready around the start of the 2026 season, which is scheduled to open in early September. The Chiefs are not setting firm expectations, but there is optimism he could be back early in the year.
Mahomes suffered the injury late in a loss to the Chargers, a game that also eliminated Kansas City from playoff contention and snapped a decade-long postseason streak. The Chiefs had won nine straight AFC West titles and reached seven consecutive conference championship games.
With Mahomes sidelined, Gardner Minshew will start the final three games, beginning Sunday at Tennessee. He steps into a locker room dealing with more than just quarterback issues. Several starters remain banged up, including wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton, both in the concussion protocol, along with multiple offensive linemen and key defensive pieces.
Mahomes is expected to return to Kansas City by the end of the week to continue rehab under the supervision of assistant trainer and physical therapist Julie Frymyer, who played a key role in his recovery from a high ankle sprain during the 2022-23 playoffs.
Despite the injury, Mahomes' mindset has not changed.
"He attacked it immediately," coach Andy Reid said. "That's just who he is."
The rehab has started. The belief inside the building is that Mahomes will handle it the only way he knows how. Full speed.
