With the 2026 NFL draft now over, the Kansas City Chiefs may now finally focus on preparing for the next season. One of the biggest questions, is of course, Patrick Mahomes and whether or not he would be back in time for opening day. The Super Bowl winner ended last season with an ACL tear, an injury that takes months to heal, even with surgery.
With ACL injuries, timelines for return are often unclear, as some injuries often last for over a year. With Mahomes, however, he is predicted to return around Week 1 and would probably be rested during the preseason games.
This means that his recovery time for that torn ACL would be around nine months, which is considered short in comparison to other cases of torn ACLs.
There is also a chance that the Chiefs would opt to rest him further, though Andy Reid spoke about the matter ahead of the draft, stating that Patrick Mahomes has already started his rehabilitation.
“He goes to meetings. He can lift, do all of that rehab,” the coach said. “That’s the phase he’s in right now, so we’ll just see, kinda play it by ear, see where he’s at. He’s doing great, but we just gotta be smart with this thing.”
For now, Patrick Mahomes is resting up and rehabilitating his knee, gearing up for his return to active duty. He will have plenty to prove, as the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in a long while last season.
Patrick Mahomes May Reunite With Former Teammate Next Season
As for when Patrick Mahomes does eventually come back, there is also a chance that a former Chiefs star who he won a Super Bowl with will also be returning to Kansas City. Tyreek Hill won a Super Bowl ring alongside Mahomes with the Chiefs, and FS1 analyst Nick Wright believes that the deadly Mahomes-Hill combination could make a comeback.
“I think he’s (Tyreek Hill) definitely worth a flier,” he said. “I mean, he and Andry Reid have a relationship. He and Mahomes have a relationship. And there’s a chance that a catastrophic knee injury undid Tyreek Hill as an effective NFL player, so I won’t be interested in giving him a long, big-money deal.”
Like Mahomes, Hill also suffered a season-ending injury last season and is believed to already be done. However, Hill is not retiring just yet and may have plenty of gas left after his stint at Miami.
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