Patrick Mahomes is making all the right moves in his recovery from a serious knee injury, and the Kansas City Chiefs are already thinking about how to slow him down.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio recently and confirmed that Mahomes is “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery from the torn ACL and LCL he suffered in his left knee during a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in mid-December. The injury ended his season three games early, and given the timing, a full return for Week 1 of 2026 was never guaranteed.
Brett Veach on Mahomes’ Recovery
Head coach Andy Reid said just last week that Mahomes is in a “good position” for certain portions of OTAs later this month, though he stopped short of any firm commitment. Now Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has gone further, sharing that Mahomes is “way ahead of schedule.”
But with that progress comes a different kind of problem – keeping Mahomes from pushing himself too hard, too soon.
“Even when he goes away for a few days, say, to Dallas for a weekend with his family, he takes one of our trainers with him. So, needless to say, he’s way ahead of schedule,” Veach said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have is protecting him from himself. I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s gonna want to be full go, but we are going to have to hold him back a little.”
That mindset surely doesn’t surprise anyone inside the building. Veach pointed to Mahomes’ history, specifically how quickly he bounced back from a dislocated knee in the past, as a reminder that this isn’t a player who accepts setbacks sitting down.
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Mahomes’ Level of Commitment is Different
What’s drawn attention during this recovery isn’t just the pace of progress. Mahomes has stayed glued to the team facility rather than handling his rehab elsewhere, showing up daily and sticking to the program. Even on short family trips, he’s brought team support along rather than stepping away from the routine.
He finished the 2025 season with 3,587 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions before the injury cut things short.
The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t taking any chances with their franchise quarterback, and the biggest concern right now isn’t his health. It’s reining in his drive to get back faster than the timeline allows. OTAs later this month and mandatory minicamp in early June will be the next real tests, giving the Chiefs a better read on what they’re comfortable letting him do on the field.
If his recovery keeps trending this way, the only thing standing between Mahomes and a full training camp is the Chiefs’ own medical staff telling him to pump the brakes.
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