It has been a strange, unorthodox offseason forPatrick Mahomes, who spent the bulk of his time off the gridiron. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback tore his ACL and LCL on December 14 during a devastating Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that prematurely ended his 2025 campaign and officially knocked Kansas City out of the postseason race.
Since his surgery, Mahomes has filled his recovery calendar with everything but football. He made high-profile appearances at JuJu Smith-Schuster’s wedding,celebrated at Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s star-studded July 3 ceremony, and took inseveral FIFA World Cup matches alongside his wife, Brittany.
Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Now, with training camp officially scheduled to open on July 29 at Missouri Western State University, Mahomes has put a definitive number on his upcoming comeback journey.
Patrick Mahomes sets sights on Week 1 return against Denver Broncos
“That’s my goal,” Mahomes told Yahoo Sports Daily when asked if he still plans to suit up for Kansas City’s opener against the Denver Broncos on Sep. 14.
“I’ve said that since the beginning, (the goal) is being ready to go Week 1.” He was careful not to guarantee it,adding, “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.”
His recovery has been completely on track every step of the way. Mahomes took all the 7-on-7 reps at OTAs in late May and did the same at minicamp in June. Andy Reid held him out of 11-on-11 team stuff just to be safe, but Albert Breer reported that Mahomes is trending toward getting cleared for full contact right when camp starts. Plus, Reid backed him publicly months ago, saying he’d “never bet against” Mahomes being ready for Week 1.
The Broncos situation is giving him some serious extra motivation, too. Denver won the AFC West last year while Kansas City finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since Mahomes became the starter.
“I don’t want to miss that game 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,” Mahomes said.
If he does end up needing more time, Justin Fields is next in line to start. But right now, Mahomes is doing everything he can to make sure he’s out there for Week 1.
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