Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes knew months ago that his surgically repaired knee would be ready for the team’s season opener against the Denver Broncos.
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer revealed on “FOX NFL Pregame” on Sunday, Sept. 13, that Mahomes told him two weeks earlier that he had been physically capable of playing since the beginning of June.
“He told me two weeks ago, he’s like, ‘Glaze, I was ready in the first week of June. I can do everything,'” Glazer said.
That means Mahomes felt ready more than three months before his scheduled return against Denver and just months after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee in December 2025.
It also puts a new perspective on something Mahomes joked was part of his recovery: hitting the dance floor at Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s July 3 wedding.
Patrick Mahomes Says Dancing at Travis Kelce’s Wedding Was Part of His ‘Rehab’
Mahomes recently spoke with ESPN’s Chris Berman about attending Kelce and Swift’s wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Mahomes attended with his wife, Brittany Mahomes, and said he was excited to celebrate his longtime teammate’s marriage.
“I was super excited to see him, to see Taylor, them come together, and I mean you saw the people around them,” Mahomes said. “They’re two special people and one of the best nights, I think of all time, for anybody.”
The quarterback also joked that he made a point of keeping his distance from Chiefs head coach Andy Reid once the dancing began.
“I stayed away from Coach Reid,” Mahomes said. “I saw him early, I went and did the hellos, and the music started, and I went and found a corner in the back.”
Mahomes had already reached the point in his recovery where he felt he could do everything by then, according to his conversation with Glazer.
“And that was part of my rehab process, was to see my dance moves on the floor,” Mahomes joked to Berman.
Patrick Mahomes Says He’ll Have No Limitations Against Broncos
Mahomes tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee during a game in December 2025. Nine months later, he is preparing to start Kansas City’s first game of the 2026 season.
“I was banged up at the end of last year, but we’re good to go now,” Mahomes told Berman.
Mahomes announced last week that he expects to play without limitations against Denver.
Glazer also shared another detail about the quarterback’s recovery. He said Mahomes chose not to wait for the swelling in his knee to subside before undergoing surgery, a decision that helped move his recovery timeline forward.
The Chiefs ultimately missed the playoffs last season for the first time in Mahomes’ career.
Mahomes’ return will officially come nine months to the day after he suffered the knee injury.
Mahomes and the Chiefs open the 2026 season against the Broncos on Sept. 14 on “Monday Night Football.”
Patrick Mahomes Makes Surprising Admission About Exactly When He Was Ready for Chiefs Return