Patrick Mahomes wants the conversation surrounding his surgically repaired left knee to end as he prepares to make his long-awaited return for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes made that clear at the end of his Thursday news conference, turning away from the podium with one final request after answering another round of questions about the knee he injured against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.
“Hopefully I’m done with the questions about the leg,” Mahomes said as he walked away, via a video shared by the Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick on X.
“Hopefully I’m done with questions about the leg.”
Hours later, the Chiefs quarterback delivered another message about his return. Mahomes shared a dramatic video on Instagram featuring black-and-white images of the quarterback and a wolf in a barren landscape.
“Out here, the loud don’t last long. The reckless don’t eat. And if you lose focus, you lose everything. So he waits. Studies. Learn your weaknesses. Reads the field like a hunter. Pretend to be prey just long enough for you to forget the predator he truly is. Then suddenly, he strikes. When it comes to 15, there’s no one nicer.”
The video portrays No. 15 as a hunter preparing to strike before ending with a message from Mahomes himself: “See you Monday.”
The Chiefs quickly responded in the comments: “FIRE US UP 15 👀⏰”
Patrick Mahomes Says He’s Ready to ‘Go Out There and Be Myself’
Mahomes’ return comes nine months to the day after he tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Chiefs kept him out of all three preseason games, marking the first time in his career that he went through an entire preseason without taking a snap.
During Thursday’s news conference, Mahomes explained that he does not intend to change the competitive approach that has defined his career when he faces Denver.
“I’m going to keep myself out of harm’s way like I always will, not try to take big hits and stuff like that, but I’m a competitor,” Mahomes said. “I signed up for this, and I’m going to go out there and play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what it is, and that’s probably how I’ll be the rest of my career.”
The quarterback also acknowledged everything that went into getting him back on the field.
“It was a long process,” Mahomes said. “But we’re here now, and now I get to go out there and be myself.”
Head coach Andy Reid had remained cautious about Mahomes throughout the preseason. In late August, when asked whether the quarterback sat out because he had not been fully cleared, Reid responded, “Probably not cleared enough.”
By Tuesday, however, Reid indicated Mahomes was expected to start against Denver.
“As far as our roster goes, there’s a very good chance that Patrick will go ahead and start unless something were to come up here in the next couple days,” Reid said. “Most likely he’ll be the guy that’s out there.”
Chiefs Could Face Major Offensive Line Test Against Broncos
– Andy Reid on LT Josh Simmons
Mahomes’ first regular-season game back will immediately test the repaired knee against a familiar AFC West opponent.
Denver led the NFL with 68 sacks last season and ended Kansas City’s nine-year run as AFC West champions. The Chiefs could also enter the matchup without starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who has missed weeks of practice because of a back injury.
“Yeah, I mean, listen, there’s a good chance Josh doesn’t play this week,” Reid said. “That’s where we’re at. We have that in our mind.”
If Simmons cannot play, undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson is in line to start at left tackle. Reid said Kansas City is comfortable using Benson on either side of the offensive line, although his college starts at Indiana came at right tackle.
That could put a first-time starter on Mahomes’ blind side as the quarterback faces the NFL’s most productive pass rush from the 2025 season.
The Chiefs and Broncos kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET Monday at Arrowhead Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN and ABC.
Patrick Mahomes Is ‘Done’ With Questions About His Injured Leg: ‘See You Monday’