The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off their 2026 NFL season with a statement on Monday night, dominating the Denver Broncos 31-10.
But the most important statement may have been made by quarterback Patrick Mahomes in his first game nine months after knee surgery. While he may not have been playing at 100% of his vintage self, Mahomes appeared healthy enough to instill significant worry in defenses throughout the league.
Before the Chiefs face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football in Week 2, the team made an announcement of some upbeat personal news on their superstar QB Thursday morning.
Today is the future Hall of Famer’s birthday.
Mahomes Marks 31st Birthday With Family
Mahomes turned 31 Thursday, and the Kansas City Chiefs on their social media channels declared it “National Patrick Mahomes Day” three days after his season-opening comeback.
Mahomes returned to the field Monday night for the first time after suffering a torn ACL and LCL, with Kansas City’s Super Bowl hopes tied to how well his surgically repaired knee holds up.
Mahomes was born in Tyler, Texas, and starred at Whitehouse High School before playing at Texas Tech, where Kansas City made him the No. 10 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He sat behind Alex Smith as a rookie, then took over the starting job in 2018, a role he has held for nine seasons since.
Mahomes broke out immediately as the full-time starter, throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2018 to win his first NFL MVP award, then added a second MVP trophy in 2022 on his way to a Super Bowl title and Super Bowl MVP honor in the same season.
The quarterback’s wife Brittany Mahomes marked the occasion with an Instagram carousel of family photos, including one of son Patrick “Bronze” Lavon Mahomes hitting a tee ball. The couple also has daughters Sterling Skye, 5, and Golden Raye, 1.
Mahomes’ father, former MLB pitcher Pat Mahomes Sr., shared his own message on Instagram, telling his son he “knew you were special” from the beginning.
“So proud of the father, husband and human being you have become,” Mahomes Sr. wrote. “Plus you can play a little football too.”
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — 2026 SCHEDULE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WK | Date | Opponent | H/A | Time / Result | TV / W-L |
| 1 | Mon, Sep 14 | Denver Broncos | Home | W 31-10 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sun, Sep 20 | Indianapolis Colts | Home | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 3 | Sun, Sep 27 | @ Miami Dolphins | Away | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| 4 | Sun, Oct 4 | @ Las Vegas Raiders | Away | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| WK 5 — BYE WEEK | |||||
| 6 | Sun, Oct 18 | Los Angeles Chargers | Home | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 7 | Sun, Oct 25 | @ Seattle Seahawks | Away | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 8 | Sun, Nov 1 | @ Denver Broncos | Away | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 9 | Sun, Nov 8 | New York Jets | Home | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| 10 | Sun, Nov 15 | @ Atlanta Falcons | Away | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| 11 | Sun, Nov 22 | Arizona Cardinals | Home | 1:00 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Thu, Nov 26 | @ Buffalo Bills | Away | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 13 | Thu, Dec 3 | @ Los Angeles Rams | Away | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video |
| 14 | Sun, Dec 13 | @ Cincinnati Bengals | Away | 4:25 p.m. | FOX |
| 15 | Mon, Dec 21 | New England Patriots | Home | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN / ABC |
| 16 | Sun, Dec 27 | San Francisco 49ers | Home | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | TBD — Flex Game | @ Los Angeles Chargers | Away | TBD | TBD |
| 18 | TBD — Flex Game | Las Vegas Raiders | Home | TBD | TBD |
| All times Eastern. Home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Bye in Week 5. Weeks 17 and 18 are flex games — dates and broadcasts TBD. | |||||
Mahomes’ Chiefs Career and Hall of Fame Case
Mahomes completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City’s one-sided win over the Broncos on Sept. 14, adding a 15-yard rushing touchdown on the Chiefs’ opening drive.
He missed 10 of his first 12 throws before finding a rhythm. “I got to be better,” Mahomes said, as quoted by Nick Roesch. “Those guys were open, and I was a little bit quick with my reads and getting the ball out of my hand.”
Travis Kelce brushed aside the slow start.
“He was saying it all week — he just needed that first hit and he was going to be Patty Mahomes,” Kelce said, as quoted by Athlon Sports.
Across 127 career games, Mahomes has thrown for 36,123 yards and 269 touchdowns with a career passer rating of 100.7, adding three Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVP awards and two NFL MVP trophies, according to his official stats.
He has already started five Super Bowls, tying him with John Elway for the second-most in NFL history behind only Tom Brady’s 10, and he owns the fourth-highest career passer rating among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts, according to team records.
That résumé, at 31, already includes accomplishments most enshrined quarterbacks needed a full career to compile, leaving Mahomes’ path to the Canton, Ohio, Pro Football Hall of Fame a matter of when, not if.
Chiefs Announce Patrick Mahomes Personal News Before Colts Game