Former NFL QB sounds alarms about Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes after injury update

Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs were understandably hyped when they learned earlier this week that "there’s an expectation among Chiefs people that" quarterback Patrick Mahomes "will be fully cleared this week" for the start of training camp. 

Mahomes spent the offseason program recovering from the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered on Dec. 14, 2025. During Friday's edition of the ESPN "Get Up" program, former NFL quarterback and current analyst Tim Hasselbeck advised Chiefs fans that they shouldn't expect Mahomes to look like the player of old this coming September. 

Patrick Mahomes return not similar to what Tom Brady achieved years ago

"We know that Patrick Mahomes is good," Hasselbeck said, "but...what does he look like coming off of this ACL injury? Remember, this was a late-in-the-season ACL injury. When [Tom Brady] came back, that was at the start of the year. This is a very different scenario." 

Hasselbeck was referring to how Brady went down with a similar injury during the New England Patriots' regular-season opener in September 2008. In that scenario, Brady had plenty of time to get right for the 2009 campaign, and he ultimately won the Comeback Player of the Year Award for that season. 

Mahomes has made it known for months that his "goal" is to play in Kansas City's 2026 Week 1 "Monday Night Football" home game versus the rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. He seems to be on track to be in the lineup for that contest, but it sounds like Hasselbeck is worried about how Mahomes may be moving around by the time that day arrives. 

Should Chiefs want Patrick Mahomes to test himself in the preseason?

"We've basically seen two videos of him kind of gingerly moving around," Hasselbeck added about Mahomes. "Expectations are sky high for Kansas City as they should be. And I just want to know, how ready is Patrick Mahomes to look like the player that we're used to seeing? So that is a significant question mark for me. Eager to see how he looks, see if he plays at all in the preseason, all stuff like that."

One would think that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid would want to place Mahomes in figurative bubble wrap through the end of August. That said, perhaps the three-time Super Bowl MVP will want to shake some rust off before the Chiefs' preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks wraps up on Aug. 28.