Patrick Mahomes answers troubling questions about his serious knee injury on first drive of the Chiefs season
Mahomes returns from ACL tear, leads Chiefs to 1‑0 start
Kansas City, Monday night – After a nine‑month road to recovery, Patrick Mahomes was back on the field for the Chiefs’ season opener against the Denver Broncos, scoring a 15‑yard rushing touchdown that capped a 38‑point first‑drive explosion and gave the franchise a 1‑0 start to the 2026 campaign.
The 31‑year‑old quarterback, who celebrated his birthday later this week, had suffered a severe knee injury on December 14, 2025, when a tackle from the Los Angeles Chargers ripped both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his left knee. He underwent surgery the following day in Dallas and began an intensive rehabilitation program that reportedly lasted roughly seven hours a day. The decision to have the operation promptly—before swelling set in—was endorsed by his doctors.
“Once you put him in the game, he's going to play and you better be confident in him running,” head coach Andy Reid said after the game. “The only thing I asked was that he get down, and for the most part, he did that.” Reid also praised Mahomes’ composure. “I was proud of him and how he handled it,” he added.
Mahomes’ first drive ended with the quarterback scrambling for the touchdown, a move that was as unhurried as it was confident. “That was definitely the moment physically where that kind of said all my rehab work paid off,” he said. “I didn’t feel anything.” He went on to say that the run gave him back his confidence and allowed him to “be myself” on the field. “I just wanted to play,” he added.
While the Chiefs’ offense finished the game with a 55‑percent completion rate, two passing touchdowns, and one interception, the highlight was the run. The team’s defense forced turnovers, and the offense was bolstered by a 173‑yard, one‑touchdown effort from rookie running back Kenneth Walker. Denver’s offense was stifled by Kansas City’s stout defense, which forced multiple sacks and limited the Broncos to a modest yardage total.
Mahomes is currently wearing a lightweight brace on his left knee. He said it does not impede his mobility, but he expects to shed the brace “perhaps as early as late in this season.” The Chiefs’ 2025 season finished 6‑11, and the return of their star quarterback is a key factor in the organization’s hopes for a turnaround.
After months of missing organized team activities, training camp, and preseason games due to injury and precautionary measures, the quarterback’s first hit came in the game, signaling the end of the psychological hurdle. “It gave me that confidence back and let me be out there and be myself,” Mahomes told reporters. The Chiefs’ 38‑point outburst, anchored by Mahomes’ touchdown run, has set a positive tone as the team begins its quest to improve on last year’s record.
