Patrick Mahomes has motored past an important checkpoint in his return from last year's season-ending knee injury on the final Friday before the Chiefs' veterans report to training camp.
The superstar quarterback has been fully cleared to participate in training camp, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Friday.
“It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, so we kind of hit that next step, and now it’s going to be about building and keep getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes along I can try to be available and ready to play," Mahomes said.
Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear late in Kansas City's Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a loss that also officially eliminated K.C. from the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era.
Mahomes promptly underwent surgery with the goal of recovering and rehabbing quickly enough to return in time for the start of the 2026 season. With reigning AFC West champion Denver on the schedule for Week 1 on Sept. 14, Mahomes has zeroed in on the season opener as a game he couldn't afford to miss.
"I don't want to miss that game against the Broncos\] because that's the team that won the division while we were gone and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates," Mahomes previously [said in a mid-July interview with Yahoo! Sports. "I'll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1."
Judging by Friday's news, Mahomes' efforts have paid off. He still has more than a month to get acclimated to the speed and daily physical toll of the game, and as Reid noted, the Chiefs will "just take it day by day and see how he does."
“It’s a long process," Mahomes explained. "I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games, how much it hurt me, but I knew that if I continued to work I could be at this spot where I can get cleared for practice. Now I’m trying just get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season in that first week.”
Kansas City will need to continue operating with caution while working Mahomes back into action, but even with the relative uncertainty that comes with a path back to the field following an ACL surgery, Friday's news is still a boon for the Chiefs, who are attempting to rinse away last season's disappointment. The good news didn't stop there, either: receiver Rashee Rice (knee) was also fully cleared to participate in training camp.
“I’m optimistic and I know he is," Reid said of Mahomes. "He’s extremely optimistic. But I think you’ve got to see how things go. Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day by day and see where it goes.”