Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in December against the Los Angeles Chargers. Mahomes could very well not be ready for the start of the 2026 NFL season. The Chiefs should not rush his rehab my any means.
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Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is attended to by team medical staff following an injury during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, second from right, watches. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Kansas City needs him to be at full strength when he returns. They want to be a contender next season, but they may not be close to being one anyways. If Mahomes is not ready to start the season, then who will start for them?
NFL Insider Believes That Marcus Mariota Will Start In Place of Patrick Mahomes For the Kansas City Chiefs
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Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) leaves the field during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Seth Walder of espn.com predicted who the 32 starting quarterbacks will be in the NFL next season. He believes that Mahomes will not be ready for the Chiefs to begin the season. Gardner Minshew was the backup quarterback, but Walder believes he won’t be on the team next season. He thinks that Kansas City will get quarterback Marcus Mariota on the team to be the starter to begin the 2026 NFL season.
Walder said, “Of course, this hinges on the recovery timeline of Patrick Mahomes, who hadsurgery in December to repair two ligaments in his left knee. Mahomes has indicated hewants to be back for Week 1, and perhaps that will happen. But any prediction about his Week 1 status is just a guess, so I imagine that the Chiefs would want to be cautious with Mahomes, given his importance to the franchise.
If that is the case, they’d want a reliable backup who can ideally win a few games while Mahomes finishes up his recovery. I believe Mariota fits the bill.
The 32-year-old stood in forJayden Daniels for eight starts in Washington last season and was capable, with a 50.2 QBR. He has a long history of being solid, which is essentially what Kansas City needs — a player who can keep the team afloat in Mahomes’ absence but is willing to be a backup and won’t be overly expensive.”
This would be an interesting choice for the Chiefs. It would be a good gain for Kansas City to have on the roster. With that being said, it would be a major mistake for the Washington Commanders to let him go this offseason also.
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