Patrick Mahomes cleared the biggest hurdle of his comeback on Friday. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters the star quarterback is fully cleared to participate in training camp, seven months removed from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
“Pat is doing great with his recovery,” Reid said. “He’s cleared to practice in all the different periods we have in camp… He’s been cleared to participate in full,” according to Bolavip.
Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee late in Kansas City’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, 2025, a collapse that eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention for the first time in the Mahomes era. He underwent surgery the following night in Dallas, where Dr. Dan Cooper repaired both ligaments, according to NFL.com.
“It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, so we kind of hit that next step,” Mahomes said. “Now it’s going to be about building and getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes along, I can try to be available and ready to play.”
Mahomes Zeroed In on Week 1 Against Denver
Kansas City opens the 2026 season at home against the defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos on Sept. 14. Mahomes has treated that date as his real target since the injury.
“I don’t want to miss that game 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 said in a mid-July interview, according to NFL.com. “I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1.”
Friday’s clearance doesn’t guarantee he starts that game. Reid was careful not to make promises, noting the team will monitor Mahomes’ workload throughout camp rather than assume a straight line to Week 1.
“We’ve got to see how things go and not make any predictions about Week 1,” Reid said, according to ESPN. He added that he doesn’t plan on limiting Mahomes’ reps during camp, meaning the quarterback will practice alongside his full group of skill players for the first time since the injury.
Mahomes will start camp wearing a knee brace as he builds back up, a standard precaution for a player nine months into an ACL and LCL recovery. He told reporters he’s not yet cleared for regular-season game action specifically — that’s a separate step he still has to earn through practice, according to KOMU.
“It’s a long process,” Mahomes said. “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 to get to that spot where I’m cleared to play in the regular season in that first week.”
Rice Also Cleared as Chiefs Try to Move Past 2025
The good news at St. Joseph didn’t stop with the quarterback. Receiver Rashee Rice, who had a knee debridement procedure in May, was also fully cleared for training camp. “He’s done a great job rehabbing up here,” Reid said, according to Chiefs Digest.
Having both players full-go for the start of camp matters for an offense that stalled without them. Kansas City finished 6-11 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and posting its first losing record since 2012. Mahomes’ own numbers slipped before the injury, too — his completion percentage and touchdown total were both career lows through 14 games.
None of that erases the caution built into this comeback. A torn ACL typically requires around nine months of recovery, and Reid’s “day by day” framing signals the Chiefs know a full practice clearance in late July is a checkpoint, not a finish line. The next one is whether Mahomes can handle padded practices, then preseason reps, without setbacks.
“I’m optimistic, and I know he is,” Reid said. “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.”
