Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has faced plenty of questions about his health since suffering a torn ACL last season. But one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history isn’t seeing much evidence that the injury has diminished his game.
Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees offered a strong assessment of Mahomes’ recovery in an exclusive interview with Heavy, explaining why he believes the two-time NFL MVP remains every bit as dangerous despite the significant knee injury.
“I don’t see anything that has hampered him or slowed him down at all; he’s still Mahomes,” Brees exclusively told Heavy.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer also pointed to a major change in Kansas City’s offense that has altered what Mahomes is being asked to do: the arrival of running back Kenneth Walker III.
And according to Brees, the Chiefs haven’t had a rushing attack quite like this during the Mahomes era.
Drew Brees Gives Patrick Mahomes Strong Verdict After ACL Injury
Mahomes suffered a significant knee injury during the 2025 season, raising questions about whether he would regain the mobility and improvisational ability that have helped define his career.
Brees, who played 20 NFL seasons before retiring in 2021, acknowledged that recovering from a major knee injury involves more than simply getting physically healthy.
“Look, he had a significant knee injury — the ACL and some of the other things that come along with that,” Brees told Heavy. “I would say it takes at least a year or two to even kind of get past the psychological nature of being able to really just go.”
But based on what Brees has observed, Mahomes hasn’t shown signs of being held back.
“I think Patrick Mahomes is always someone who’s going to be able to use his athleticism to his advantage, even if he doesn’t necessarily take off and run down the field as much,” Brees said.
His comments came during a Nov. 11 exclusive interview with Heavy, conducted as part of Brees’ partnership with ARS Pharmaceuticals, the maker of neffy epinephrine nasal spray.
Brees is working with the company to promote severe allergy awareness and emergency preparedness ahead of the holiday season. The former Saints quarterback also opened up to Heavy about his personal experience with severe allergies and why the issue matters to him.
While Brees’ comments specifically addressed Mahomes’ knee recovery, the Chiefs quarterback has since dealt with a separate injury concern involving his throwing elbow.
Mahomes suffered the elbow injury during Kansas City’s Nov. 8 victory over the New York Jets. He returned to finish the game and was subsequently listed as a full participant in practice ahead of the Chiefs’ Nov. 15 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Chiefs also sought multiple medical opinions regarding the elbow, with doctors clearing Mahomes to return to action despite lingering soreness, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Drew Brees Explains How Kenneth Walker III Has Changed Chiefs Offense
Beyond Mahomes’ recovery, Brees believes Kansas City’s offense has undergone a meaningful transformation with Walker in the backfield.
“Look at their offense now compared to years past: they’ve never had a run game like this,” Brees exclusively told Heavy. “They’ve never had a Kenneth Walker III / K9 to be able to carry the load with the effectiveness that they’ve had.”
Walker joined Kansas City after helping the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, bringing a proven explosive-play threat to an offense that has frequently leaned on Mahomes to manufacture production.
That dynamic is now changing.
“It makes it to where Mahomes doesn’t have to take off and do some of the things that he’s needed to do in the past, because K9 fulfills that,” Brees explained.
The shift has been evident throughout the season. Walker has given Kansas City a more dangerous ground game, allowing the Chiefs to attack defenses without requiring Mahomes to create every big play himself.
Brees contrasted the current offense with the Chiefs’ earlier championship teams, which featured Tyreek Hill stretching defenses vertically and Travis Kelce creating opportunities underneath.
“Back when they had Tyreek Hill, they were launching the ball, blowing the top off, Kelce working underneath, and no run game,” Brees said.
“Now they got a run game, and they don’t necessarily have a ton of the deep-threat capability back, but they still got Kelce and they still got some of the underneath stuff.”
The result is an offense that looks different from the one that established Mahomes as one of the NFL’s most dangerous quarterbacks.
But different doesn’t necessarily mean worse.
Brees believes the Chiefs’ evolution reflects an important part of playing quarterback: understanding what an offense does best and building around those strengths.
“You’re always in a position as an offense or a quarterback of asking, ‘What’s our bread and butter? What are we really good at? What are our capabilities?'” Brees said. “And then let’s lock in on those and really hang our hat on that stuff.”
NFL Legend Drew Brees Delivers Strong Patrick Mahomes Injury Verdict in Heavy Exclusive