Patrick Mahomes has targeted his ACL return for the Kansas City Chiefs opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday, 14 September 2026, nine months after surgery on his left knee.
Mahomes tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and lateral collateral ligament in his left knee during a Week 15 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, 14 December 2025, as reported by Fox News.
He underwent surgery two days later, on Tuesday, 16 December 2025.
ACL tears typically take about nine months to heal fully, a timeline that governs when a quarterback can absorb contact and plant on the repaired leg.
The Chiefs open their season two days before that nine-month mark falls, which makes the opener tight but reachable.
What Patrick Mahomes said about his ACL return
Mahomes described his rehabilitation in short, measured terms, avoiding a firm guarantee on availability while making his intention plain. He said the process had gone well to that point, and that the season opener remained the target he was working towards rather than a date he could promise. Mahomes said:
“It’s been going great.”
“Obviously, long term, I want to be ready for Week 1.”
He was less certain about the day-to-day experience of a long rehabilitation, and pointed to the value of having medical staff willing to push him without risking the joint. The balance between progress and protection, he suggested, was the part of the process he had not anticipated.
Mahomes said:
“What I’ve found out through this process is not every day is going to feel amazing. You have to have somebody you trust that’s going to get the best out of you but that’s going to keep you safe.”
Why the Chiefs season hinges on a Mahomes ACL return
Kansas City entered 2026 with the quarterback position as the defining variable of its season, an outlook widely described as critical.
The Chiefs built their offence around Mahomes’s improvisation and deep passing, and the recovery timeline left the club planning without certainty at the most important position.
The injury involved more than the ACL alone. Damage to the lateral collateral ligament affects the outside of the knee and its resistance to sideways force, which for a quarterback governs the ability to step into a throw and to move away from pressure in the pocket.
The decision now sits with the medical staff rather than the player, and the Chiefs are unlikely to confirm his status until close to kick-off.
Denver stands in the way in Week 1, and nine months of rehabilitation will be measured by whether he takes the first snap.
