Patrick Mahomes reveals he needs one unexpected thing to get his confidence back

Against all odds, Kansas City Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes is aiming for a Week 1 comeback.

Most players would've missed at least the first month of the season after tearing their ACL late in a campaign, but Mahomes has never been like most players. However, he's still far from full strength. He was cleared and a full go for training camp, but he still needs to ramp things up and get used to his knee brace.

Notably, that's not all he needs. When asked about his comfort and his comeback, the future Hall of Famer admitted he's trending in the right direction, but he still needs to take a hit.

Patrick Mahomes says he needs to take a hit 

“You’ll never know until you get out there, and you get hit and make plays,” Mahomes told the media. “That’s just kind of part of it. But I trust the process that I’ve been through. I feel amazing, and I just have to keep continuing with that.”

Mahomes is doing well in training camp, but he knows opposing teams won't be as kind when they face him during the season. Once he takes that big hit, he'll finally know where he's truly at in his recovery process.

“Then I’ll take that first hit, just like you do every regular season, and then you get back to play football, a game you love,” added Mahomes. 

That said, the Chiefs must ensure he stays out of harm's way. Pass protection has been an issue for years, and now that he might not be as mobile, at least at first, the offensive line will have to step up. They can only hope that the hit doesn't lead to more missed time.