The Kansas City Chiefs‘ offseason, especially now that free agency (for the most part) and the NFL Draft are done and dusted, will revolve around the recovery timeline of quarterback Patrick Mahomes II.
The main – indeed really the only question being: will be 100% fit for the season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday September 14.
Mahomes tore his ACL And LCL on December 14 of 2025 in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15, and has been working his way back ever since having surgery to repair both ligaments on December 15.
The standard timeframe to recover from a knee injury of that severity is at the very minimum 9 months, but it is rare that top-level professional athletes are able to get back to playing level in that short a period of time, even with all the additional help and rehab they receive, relative to the average person.
That would appear to make Mahomes’ chances of being fully healthy for Week 1 – exactly 9 months to the day after suffering the knee injury – at best somewhat tenuous.
However, it would appear that the 30-year old has a reasonable chance to be ready by then, as he is reportedly ahead of his scheduled recovery timeline. Indeed, this was compounded on May 26; the Chiefs’ first day of OTAs; where videos of the two-time MVP showed him moving well and slinging the ball comfortably.
And in response, the three-time Super Bowl champ responded with a clock emoji.
What Does Patrick Mahomes II Mean By His Response?
Unlike some cryptic posts and responses, there are a few immediate implications, even if it is not necessarily what Mahomes meant by his emoji.
The emoji of the clock could imply that it is only a matter of time before he is ready to get going and play again. It could also be a reference to the fact that he is ahead of schedule and will be back on the field with few physical limits sooner than many expect even now. It may also be telling Chiefs fans and co. to wait patiently and that when the season starts, he will be ready.
However, all of those things more or less ring true to the same idea; Mahomes saying he will be back soon.
Will the Chiefs’ Offense See a Marked Improvement in 2026?
It’s hard to tell exactly how any unit will perform from one year to another, with quarterback level the main indicator of continued success on that side of the ball.
But with KC’s offense having stagnated over the past two seasons, the hope will be that the addition of new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy could help kick-start the unit back into action.
As will, the franchise hopes, the revamping of the running back room. The Chiefs added Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency and drafted Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the draft to replace to uninspiring tandem of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, who consumed the majority of RB touches last season.
Patrick Mahomes Responds To Video Of OTAs in Cryptic Fashion