The Kansas City Chiefs’ 2025 season was a disaster. They finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Their campaign officially ended in Week 15 when Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL after Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand rolled up on his leg.
Mahomes had surgery the next day and immediately started rehab, aiming to return for the 2026 season opener. Early reports look very optimistic. While Mahomes seems to be hitting his recovery milestones, head coach Andy Reid is being more careful.
At the NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, Reid refused to commit to Mahomes starting Week 1 and pointed directly to his backup plan instead.
Andy Reid names Justin Fields as plan B amid Patrick Mahomes’ recovery
At the league meetings on Monday, Reid gave an update on Mahomes that was encouraging but vague.
Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes
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, stands on the sideline Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
“He’s doing great,” Reid toldJudy Battista of NFL Network. “He’s in the building seven hours a day, and the progress is showing. But a timeline? I know what he’s aiming for. We’ll just see what happens.”
He knows Mahomes wants to play, but he won’t promise it. Standard ACL recovery takes nine to twelve months, making a Week 1 return a tight squeeze with no room for setbacks. Because of that risk, the Chiefs traded for Justin Fields to ensure they have a legitimate backup starter ready to go.
Chiefs sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for Fields. To make the deal work, the Jets are reportedly paying $7 million of Fields’ $10 million guaranteed salary for 2026, leaving Kansas City responsible for a near-minimum $3 million.
Reid was direct about plan B when asked whether the offseason plan was built around Mahomes starting Week 1.
“Well, we snuck out and got a good quarterback to back him up,” Reid said. “So, if he doesn’t, you know, if he’s not able to make it for the beginning of the season, then we know we’ve got a legitimate backup there that can go win games for us.”
Andy Reid is confident in Justin Fields taking the reins if Patrick Mahomes needs more time to recover. https://t.co/vIZEbZuY9A
— Chiefs Kingdom (@ChiefsKingdomCP) March 29, 2026
If Fields starts Week 1, he’ll make NFL history as the first quarterback to start four straight season openers for four different teams. It’s a rare feat that usually only happens to a player who repeatedly fills in for an injured starter.
Coach Reid is managing a total roster overhaul. He landed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to fix a run game that bottomed out last year. On defense, Reid isn’t panicking about losing star cornerback Trent McDuffie and other key starters. He pointed to his time in Green Bay as proof he can rebuild a secondary from scratch. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, the front office has the resources to reload.
The Chiefs are hitting the reset button. Whether Mahomes is ready by September or not, Reid is making sure the team is prepared for any scenario.