NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Done? Patrick Mahomes is so back. At this point, I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in at least 27 states to publicly doubt Mahomes. The man has more than earned that right.
There’s a very real case to be made that Mahomes is the best quarterback of all time, since Tom Brady. The Chiefs‘ superstar has spent his career making the impossible look routine, turning broken plays into highlight reels and fourth-quarter pressure into his personal playground. And with Mahomes back in his bag, Kansas City is off to a 2-0 start and sitting atop the AFC West, ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs are also currently holding the No. 1 spot in the AFC standings, with the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals trailing behind. If this is the version of Mahomes we’re getting this season, the rest of the AFC might have a problem.
Patrick Mahomes’ Message Has the AFC Sweating
NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jalen Royals (11) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrate after a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Patrick Mahomes is celebrating the Chiefs’ win over the Colts—and putting the rest of the NFL on notice with just one emoji. And if you’ve followed Mahomes for any length of time, you already know the one.
The Chiefs QB took to Instagram to drop a highlight reel from Kansas City’s wild 33-30 overtime win over Indianapolis, featuring himself, Travis Kelce, Kenneth Walker and plenty of other Chiefs stars. The caption? A simple ticking-clock emoji. That’s it. Somehow, that’s enough to send chills down the backs of the rest of the AFC.
But not too long ago, the conversation around Mahomes looked very different. Last season, the three-time Super Bowl champion posted career lows across the board, while the Chiefs missed the playoffs. In my piece on C.J. Stroud and the nasty Texans defense, sources detailed Houston’s blueprint for slowing down Mahomes—a formula Philadelphia also used in the Super Bowl to completely disrupt the Chiefs QB. Houston made Mahomes look downright human in 2025.
There’s another wrinkle this time around, too. Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL, raising questions about whether his trademark mobility and ability to make plays outside the pocket would be affected. Under the Monday Night Football lights, Mahomes looked a little rusty early on. He ran for a touchdown and threw for two more as Kansas City cruised past Denver 31-10. But through two games, the rust appears to be coming off fast.
Mahomes has been cooking since returning from injury, completing 47 of 74 passes for 566 yards, five touchdowns and just one interception. He has also added nine carries for 40 yards and a rushing score. That’s exactly what Kansas City needed. The Chiefs are now 2-0 after taking down the Broncos and Colts, and Mahomes looks increasingly comfortable running the offense again. If he can stay healthy and keep playing at this level, Kansas City has a wide-open runway in front of it heading into the 2026 campaign.
Next up? A road trip to Miami.
The Chiefs will face the Dolphins in Week 3 on Sept. 27, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET. And if Mahomes’ ticking-clock emoji is any indication, Kansas City might be telling the rest of the league that time is running out to figure him out.