Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes saw his 2025 season end in injury, but things are looking up for 2026.
ESPN’s Jason Reid predicts he will land his third career MVP award this season in a comeback from an ACL and LCL injury. Mahomes tore both against the Los Angeles Chargers last season, and he could return as early as Week 1 as the Chiefs look to get back on track.
“Last season, the Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ nine-year career, and he underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee,” Reid wrote. “No matter. The three-time Super Bowl winner will return with a vengeance. He’ll benefit from a formidable offensive line and a rushing attack led by Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.”
Mahomes won the MVP in 2018, his first season as the Chiefs’ starter. He won it again in 2022 when he dominated with a league-high 5,250 yards passing and 41 touchdowns.
Patrick Mahomes Makes Seth Walder’s Top 10 For MVP Candidates
ESPN’s Seth Walder also chimed in on Mahomes as a top-10 candidate for MVP. Walder also included nine other top NFL quarterbacks on that list.
“We don’t even know if Mahomes will be ready for Week 1 yet due to his knee injury, and he hasn’t been quite the same player over the past couple of seasons,” Walder wrote. “But it would be foolish to ignore Mahomes’ history as one of the greatest to ever play the position. I’m not willing to doubt him.”
Last season, Mahomes completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions before his season got cut short. Mahomes’ last full season in 2024 consisted of a 67.5% completion rate for 3,928 yards and 26 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions.
He didn’t have a running back like Walker either of those two seasons, and Walker could take the pressure off of Mahomes and allow him more leverage in the passing game. The Chiefs didn’t make major changes in the receiving corps, but that may not matter if Mahomes returns to MVP form.
Based on Walder’s list, Mahomes biggest competitors for MVP include Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Justin Herbet, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy.
Latest on Patrick Mahomes Injury Status
ESPN’s Stephania Bell recently provided an update on Mahomes’ injury status. It’s not a shoo-in that he will return for Week 1.
“The first shared video clip of Mahomes casually dropping back and throwing a football subliminally messaged his determination to be on the field for Week 1,” Bell wrote. “Still, there are multiple benchmarks to hit — including the ability to escape pursuing defenders — as Mahomes’ ramp-up toward return to play continues. His timeline remains fluid, as he acknowledged he ‘can’t predict what happens throughout the process.'”
“Mahomes will be just shy of nine months postsurgery when the season begins, which is an aggressive timeline even if his recovery is smooth” Bell added. “But if the markers thus far are any indication, nothing is off the table.”
If Mahomes returns for Week 1, he will lead the Chiefs against defending AFC West champion and rival Denver Broncos.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Receives Major Prediction For 2026