Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes returned to the practice field this week after being cleared to participate in training camp in full, but some fans are still worried about the condition of his surgically repaired leg.
Mahomes underwent surgery in December to repair a torn ACL, an injury that ended his season as the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. While Mahomes has hit all of his milestones and remains on track to start in Week 1, some fans expressed concern at the appearance of his leg as he arrived for training camp.
Patrick Mahomes Sparked Fears of Injury Recovery
As Mahomes walked with teammates to start training camp on Saturday, some fans speculated that his surgically repaired leg appeared to have lost some muscle mass.
“Mahomes has a skinny leg,” shared Jeff Mueller, an NFL injury analyst, in a post on X.
“Anyone see some muscle atrophy or is it me,” another fan shared on X.
But others disagreed, noting that both of Mahomes’ legs appeared to be a similar size. Many worries were also addressed when the Chiefs quarterback took to practice, looking strong in his throws and light on his feet. The Chiefs had a limited start to training camp on Saturday, with quarterbacks and rookies reporting, along with some other positions.
Chiefs Expected to Take Careful Approach With Patrick Mahomes
The Chiefs do not appear rushed in getting Mahomes back into action, even though he was cleared to fully participate in training camp. ESPN reporter Nate Taylor speculated that the team would keep him out of all three preseason games, which would be a first for Mahomes in his career.
Mahomes will have the chance to keep going slow, with the team going through the weekend and early portion of training camp without pads.
Mahomes said he felt good after the first practice on Saturday, noting that he’s working on getting comfortable again after a long rehab process.
“You just have to build that confidence back, and I’m glad I get to do that from Day 1 of training camp,” Mahomes said, via Fox Sports. “I didn’t want to have to get only a couple of weeks of practice in and then have to go play a game. I wanted to build it up, see how training camp goes as we gradually build, and so I think that’ll help me get back to where I need to be.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said it was good for Mahomes and some of his teammates to get an extra time. Reid had often called an early start for rookies and quarterbacks, reviving the practice this year.
“I didn’t like not doing it last year after I got done with it, to be honest with you,” Reid said, via Fox Sports. “It’s a good thing for the quarterbacks, good thing for the rookies coming in. We do have more numbers (of rookies) this year, so it allows us to get more reps. I think that will benefit us.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Sparks Concern With Physical Appearance at Training Camp