Patrick Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks we have ever seen. It has been a few years since we have seen him put up video game numbers in the regular season, and he is coming off a major knee injury. While there has always been a target of not missing any time of the 2026 Kansas City Chiefs season and returning Week 1, Mahomes made an announcement regarding his plans for returning from his torn ACL injury. Let’s take a closer look at what he had to say and what it means for the team.
Patrick Mahomes confirms Week 1 timeline for his return
Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made it clear he is eyeing a return from his torn ACL in Week 1.
“That’s my goal. I’ve said that since the beginning is being ready to go Week 1. I can’t predict the future and I know that it’s a long process. It’s not just my decision, but at the same time I’m going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1.
“I don’t want to miss that game [against the Broncos] because that’s the team that won the division while we were gone and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates. I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1, and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light and I’m able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league.”
Last season, Patrick Mahomes had a decent season before suffering the injury. He completed 315 of 502 (62.7%) of his passes for 3,587 yards with 22 passing touchdowns to 11 interceptions while also running the football 64 times for 422 yards (6.6 yards per attempt) with five rushing touchdowns. It was the first season in his career where he was not either a Pro Bowler or received MVP votes.
The Kansas City Chiefs looked to take the pressure off Patrick Maomes this offseason by adding running back Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado as legitimate running backs. The defense improved as well, so the pressure isn’t going to be on the future Pro Football Hall of Famer to be a magician on the field. Mahomes did undergo surgery immediately, which helps his recovery timeline, and even participated in OTAs. It will be intriguing to see if Patrick Mahomes or Justin Fields is starting in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
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