If you were wondering whether Patrick Mahomes would be his old self following the serious knee injury he suffered exactly nine months ago to the day that the Kansas City Chiefs opened their 2026 season on Monday night, then rest easy.
The quarterback scored on a 15-yard run to culminate his team’s first offensive drive of the season against the Denver Broncos and, honestly, the zigzagging dash to the end zone that he finished with a dive said something:
He’s baaaack!
“That was definitely the moment physically where that kind of said all my [rehabilitation] work paid off,” Mahomes said. “Like, I didn’t feel anything. And it’s still a process, I still have to keep getting better and better and stay on top of it.
“But this is obviously a great first week.”
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Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up before kickoff against the Denver Broncos during an NFL game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (Getty Images)
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The Chiefs, which sunk to a 6-11 record last season, seem to be back as well. They pummeled a talented Denver Broncos team by riding a stifling defense and running back Kenneth Walker rushing for 173 yards and a touchdown.
But Mahomes was the story.
Look, it remains to be seen how the season ultimately unfolds for the Chiefs and for what many consider to be the NFL’s top quarterback.
Mahomes was by no means dominant, completing only 55 percent of his passes and throwing 2 TD passes and 1 interception. But that was not the focus.
The focus was gauging Mahomes and his return to health. Could he function? Could he still run? Could he still cause problems for the defense?
That first drive, with the quarterback showing no fear of being hit, made a statement that put the rest of the league on notice.
“It gave me that confidence back and let me be out there and be myself,” Mahomes said.
Patrick Mahomes No. 15 of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks to his teammates before kickoff against the Denver Broncos during an NFL game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (Getty Images)
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Mahomes, who is turning 31 later this week, did not get hit in organized team activity sessions in the spring.
He didn’t get hit in training camp.
He didn’t get hit in the preseason, because he didn’t play in any of the Chiefs’ three games.
He was hit during the game and so that psychological obstacle is now moot.
“I just wanted to play,” Mahomes said.
“It was great to get Patrick back in the mix there and knock a little rust off,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He hadn’t had a chance to play and see things coming at him quite that fast, so I was proud of him and how he handled it.”
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Patrick Mahomes reacts as he leads a huddle against the Denver Broncos during an NFL game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 14, 2026. (Getty Images)
Mahomes is wearing a lightweight brace on his left knee. He has said it does not deter him from moving as he did before his surgery, but he does eventually expect to shed the gear — perhaps as early as late in this season.
Mahomes tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in his left knee during the Chiefs’ Dec. 14, 2025, game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
He underwent surgery in Dallas the next day, with doctors repairing the torn ACL and LCL, and began rehabilitation almost immediately.
The exceedingly quick timetable for having the surgery was part of a plan, Mahomes has said. While many doctors urge their player patients to wait until their inflammation goes down before having surgery, Mahomes said his doctors urged him to get the surgery before the inflammation took root.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes grabs his knee after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
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Mahomes then committed to an intensive recovery program that included roughly seven hours of rehabilitation per day. All that led to Monday night.
“Once you put him in the game, he’s going to play and you better be confident in him running,” Reid said. “The only thing I asked was that [he] get down and, for the most part, he did that.”
Just not on that touchdown run.
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