Massive update emerges on Patrick Mahomes' recovery

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently repeated that his "goal" is to play in Kansas City's season-opening "Monday Night Football" home game versus the rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. 

Mahomes has spent the first seven months of 2026 recovering from the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered this past December. It sounds like he is in a good spot regarding his status for the upcoming campaign.

When Patrick Mahomes may be fully cleared for training-camp practices

On Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared a huge update on Mahomes' recovery.

"There’s an expectation among Chiefs people that Mahomes will be fully cleared this week, and also the knowledge that when they tell him he can go, he will really go," Breer wrote. "So the plan is to be smart with it, and make sure everyone is doing what’s going to put him in the best position to be at his best from September through February, not just ready for Week 1."

According to Breer, Mahomes, other Kansas City quarterbacks and rookies are set to report for camp this coming Friday. While the Chiefs acquired Justin Fields from the New York Jets in March to serve as Mahomes' primary backup, it seems as if the Chiefs want Mahomes to be the team's QB1 for as many summer practices as possible.

Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes plan is "really well thought out and calculated"

"Mahomes will have to reacclimate to having defenders around his feet and rushers in his face, as he gets used to playing on the surgically repaired knee," Breer continued. "So there’ll be a balance. (Chiefs head coach) Andy Reid generally runs one of the NFL’s toughest training camps, which should give Mahomes ample opportunity to find quality reps. Mahomes also has played in multiple preseason games in every year of his career, which raises the question of how much the Chiefs veer from what they’ve generally done. What I would say is that I’m sure all of it will be really well thought out and calculated."

Of course, it is far too early for one to guess what Mahomes will be by the time Sept. 14 arrives. That said, it continues to appear as if he will be in the Kansas City lineup when the Chiefs take the field for the Week 1 "MNF" clash with Denver.