Patrick Mahomes‘ return to the practice field has been one of the biggest storylines of the Kansas City Chiefs‘ training camp, and while the quarterback completed his first two practices without issue, one detail caught the attention of reporters watching closely.
Mahomes returned to the practice field this weekend after surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. During the first two days of training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, reporters noticed him adjusting his knee brace several times during drills, raising questions about how comfortable he is nearly eight months into his recovery.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, however, offered an encouraging assessment after the team’s first full practice.
Andy Reid Downplays Questions About Patrick Mahomes’ Knee Brace
During practice, The Athletic’s Jesse Newell noticed Mahomes frequently reaching down to adjust the brace.
“I saw [Mahomes] fidget with [the knee brace] a lot,” Newell said. “He reached down, tried to tighten it, tried to move it. So this is going to be an adjustment period for him as he gets used to this thing strapped around his left knee.”
Newell also observed Mahomes participating in drills that required him to roll out toward his left side, testing the repaired knee during movement.
Despite those observations, Reid said he liked what he saw from his quarterback.
According to Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman, Reid told reporters, “He looked pretty good today I thought. Strong…. His feet were moving well. I thought it was positive. I thought he looked well.”
Additional video from training camp showed Mahomes dropping back, delivering passes, and jumping up and down in celebration.
Mahomes injured his knee during Kansas City’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in December. The defeat eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time since he became the team’s starting quarterback.
He underwent surgery the following day and has spent nearly eight months rehabilitating in hopes of returning for the start of the 2026 season.
Mahomes Explains Why He’s Wearing a Knee Brace
Although Mahomes has been medically cleared for training camp, he acknowledged that wearing the brace is more about comfort than a team requirement.
“It’s not like I’ve been told I have to wear it or how long I have to wear it,” Mahomes told reporters. “It’s just going to be my comfortability how I feel. But I will start with it on just because I feel like I can still move and be myself with it. I played with it in college and then we’ll just see where we go from there.”
Mahomes previously wore a brace during his senior season in college before entering the NFL.
The quarterback has repeatedly stated that he expects to be available for Kansas City’s regular-season opener on Sept. 14, but he also recognizes the recovery process is ongoing.
“The process isn’t over,” Mahomes added. “It’ll be something I’ll probably be dealing with the next few years of my career and throughout the rest of my career. But I feel comfortable now being able to go out there and run the offense the way the offense is supposed to be run.”
Andy Reid Shares Encouraging Patrick Mahomes Injury Update After Signs of Discomfort Emerge