Stunning timeline for when Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes could return from injury revealed

Shortly after Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered in the middle of December, it became clear that he intended to do everything possible to return to the lineup for the 2026 regular-season opener this coming September. 

Some understandably scoffed at the notion that Mahomes could be back on the field so soon, but it sounds like he could have the last laugh. 

Is Patrick Mahomes on track to return for Week 1 of 2026 season? 

During a Thursday appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show," NFL insider Jay Glazer of Fox Sports offered quite a noteworthy update on Mahomes' ongoing recovery. 

"His pain threshold is different," Glazer said about Mahomes, per Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing. "His work ethic is different. So at first they were like, 'Oh, you know, start of the season.' I would probably hedge on him being [back] sooner than that. By far. Because he just attacks things." 

While the full NFL schedule won't be released until later this spring, the opening night of the season typically falls on the first Thursday (or Wednesday) after Labor Day. Thus, Kansas City could play on Sept. 10, Sept. 13 or Sept. 14. 

No two injuries are exactly the same, and it's still far too early to know if Mahomes will endure even a small setback that could alter his recovery timeline. That said, it appears the three-time Super Bowl champion has been attacking his rehab since before 2026 began. 

Patrick Mahomes "heals differently" than others?  

"The initial reports were kind of on the fringe there, but I want to tell you, Patrick’s different," Glazer added. "He got (the surgery) before it swelled up. So that was on a Tuesday. I believe it was either Thursday or Friday that week, he was already in the Chiefs’ training room doing rehab. And he had already got his knee bending at 90 degrees at that point. He’s just different. He heals differently."

Perhaps Mahomes' healing capabilities have something to do with why so many seem convinced that star tight end Travis Kelce isn't ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement just yet.