Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had insisted for months that he would be recovered from a major knee injury and ready to play in Week 1, but his early performance against the Denver Broncos is raising concerns about whether he still has more work to do.
Mahomes got off to a slow start against the Broncos, completing just two of his first eight passes and missing badly on several passes. Though Mahomes may have eased any doubts about his legs with a 15-yard touchdown run, some questioned whether he may take longer to return to his previous form.
Patrick Mahomes ‘Off’ in Passing Game
The Chiefs leaned heavily on new addition Kenneth Walker III to start the game, feeding the running back seven times on a 10-play touchdown drive. When the Chiefs did turn to the air, the passing game looked disjointed and Mahomes seemed to be on a different page than his receivers.
The Monday Night Football broadcast noted the struggles, as did other analysts. ESPN radio host Brandon Kiley suggested that Mahomes and the passing game looked “off,” though noted it was still too early to start placing blame.
“Worth monitoring: Mahomes is 2-for-8 for 14 yards throwing the football,” Kiley wrote in a post on X. “It’s not all him. It’s early. All the necessary caveats. But the passing game in general just looks off.”
Mahomes continued to turn to his legs after the rushing touchdown, scrambling through the middle of a stellar Broncos defense for a first down in the second quarter.
“Patrick Mahomes has 24 rushing yards,” noted Chiefs reporter Zac Stevens in a post on X. “He has 14 passing yards and he’s 2/9.”
Patrick Mahomes Not Worried About Knee
Though he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in December, Mahomes made steady progress through the offseason and said he would start the regular season with no limitation. The Chiefs quarterback told ESPN last week that he excited to get back on the field.
“You’ve got to go out there and be yourself,” Mahomes said. “I’ve built up the strength [in my knee] and built up all the days of rehab so that I can be myself. I’m going to keep myself out of harm’s way, like I always will, not trying to take big hits.
“But I’m a competitor, I signed up for this and I’m going to go out there and play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what it is.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid added that he expected Mahomes to go at 100%.
“He’s shown he can do [everything],” Reid said. “We won’t hold anything back that we wouldn’t normally. He’s geared up and ready to go. It’s just a matter of getting out there and playing.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Faces Concerns Amid Broncos Struggles