The Kansas City Chiefs, for most, are primed to assume their mantle as the AFC's apex predator in 2026 after a down year in 2025 that no one saw coming.
But a big reason for Chiefs hope is that Patrick Mahomes, who is recovering from a torn ACL, is on schedule to return Week 1, which is ideal.
Exactly how healthy Patrick will be, then, is unknown, but by all accounts, he's in good shape with his knee.
And for CBS Sports' John Breech, if Mahomes is ready to roll in Week 1, Kansas City could get off to a blistering start.
"If Patrick Mahomes is ready to play in Week 1, the Chiefs will have a very real chance to be 4-0 heading into their Week 5 bye," Breech wrote. "In the first two weeks of the season, they get the Broncos and Colts, but both games are at home. In Weeks 3 and 4, they get the Dolphins and Raiders, who will both have a new head coach and a new starting quarterback."
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Should Mahomes push for Week 1?
Based on all the reports I've seen, nothing will stop Patrick from being on the field in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
But he has to hit all the checkpoints in his recovery, and I've stated previously that he would need roughly a month's work at training camp or proper offseason work to be ready to go up against that Denver defense.
The Chiefs will be cautious with Patrick, though; they aren't about to send him out against one of the NFL's best defenses if he isn't 100 percent healthy.
So, while some have the Chiefs starting hot out of the gate, that will only happen if No. 15 starts out hot as well.
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