The circumstances around Patrick Mahomes‘ catastrophic knee injury have been looking up for the Kansas City Chiefs over the last several weeks, and head coach Andy Reid injected more optimism into the conversation on Friday.
Reid did not commit to the notion that Mahomes will definitely be back to full health and in the starting lineup Week 1, but his comments provided a rose-colored perspective of that seemingly ever-increasing possibility.
“We haven’t made any assumptions that he’s absolutely going to be there game one, we brought in Justin for that reason , we drafted a QB—I wouldn’t bet against him, if anybody could do it, it’s
“We haven’t made any assumptions that he’s absolutely going to be there game one,” Reid said. “We brought in Justin [Fields] for that reason, we drafted a QB.”
“I wouldn’t bet against him,” Reid continued of Mahomes. “If anybody could do it, it’s this kid.”
Mahomes has been working with the team in recent days beyond just his own rehabilitation. Reid, and others, have mentioned in the weeks past that the QB is attacking his return in maniacal fashion.
Should he be back for the team’s season opener against the Denver Broncos on September 14, Mahomes will take his first snap exactly nine months after sustaining the ACL/LCL tear against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 of last season.
Chiefs Need to Add Help for Patrick Mahomes, Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs Solid Option in Free Agency
GettyWide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Should Mahomes beat the odds and get back on the gridiron in time enough to start potentially all 17 games of the upcoming campaign, Kansas City will still have to worry about staffing the offense with enough talent and depth at wide receiver and tight end.
That the Chiefs have yet to add a pass-catcher of any repute this offseason is among the more surprising personnel storylines of the offseason. Travis Kelce is back, but he is also playing in Year 14 and turns 37 in October.
Wideout Rashee Rice is currently rehabbing a knee surgery in a Dallas jail cell, while receiver Xavier Worthy looks to rebound from a down year hampered by injuries of his own. After missing out on Jauan Jennings, four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs is arguably the best option remaining for Kansas City in free agency.
However, the Chiefs are likely to have competition for Diggs’ services from other potential/likely contenders, including the Los Angeles Rams.
“The 32-year-old veteran, who played 17 games last season, caught more than 85 balls and scored four touchdowns for the Patriots, will be a valuable WR3 option for Sean McVay’s offense or a trusted fill-in for the Chiefs as the team navigates the increasing unreliability of Rashee Rice,” Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated wrote this week.
Kenneth Walker III Should Provide Patrick Mahomes With Best Chiefs’ Run Game in Years
GettyKansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III.
One luxury Mahomes will have to lean on whenever he gets back, which was absent in 2025 (and really for years prior), is a high-level running back in Kenneth Walker III.
Walker was key in the Seattle Seahawks‘ Super Bowl run last postseason, winning MVP honors in the biggest game of the year, then cashed in to the tune of more than $43 million on a new three-year deal in Kansas City.
The former second-round pick out of Michigan State topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his four-year NFL career in 2025 and has 29 rushing TDs in 58 regular-season games played. He has also tallied more than 1,000 yards receiving during his time in the league.
Chiefs’ Andy Reid Optimistic About Patrick Mahomes’ Early Return