Patrick Mahomes didn’t look like a guy eight months removed from a torn ACL. In a training camp clip the Kansas City Chiefs posted on X, the quarterback fired off quick, tight spirals alongside the rest of the team’s passing room — and the internet noticed fast.
The video, shared by the Kansas City Chiefs’ official X account on July 26, 2026, shows Mahomes rotating through reps with backup Justin Fields, rookie Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Just quick drops and clean releases, the kind of rhythm passing that made this offense a nightmare for defenses before last season went sideways.
⏰ @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/ZY5mU5HWst
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 30, 2026
According to Yahoo Sports, the four quarterbacks passed in rapid succession, and the tape suggested all of them are “in good shape” heading into the 2026 season. The clip has since crossed two million views on X.
Mahomes Pushing Through the ACL Recovery
The backstory here matters. Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in December, an injury that ended his 2025 season early and cast doubt over how the Chiefs’ offense would look to start 2026. Per ESPN, Mahomes’ goal is to be under center for the season opener against the Denver Broncos, and coach Andy Reid’s staff is building camp reps around that timeline rather than rushing him.
Reid isn’t hiding from what went wrong last year, either. ESPN reported that Reid pointed to a wider leadership group — not just Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce — as the players setting the tone in camp, naming linebackers Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill, center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith among those pushing the standard early.
That standard slipped in 2025. Kansas City finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade, a jolt for a roster that had been to the Super Bowl in three of the previous four seasons.
Why the QB Room Battle Actually Matters
This isn’t just a feel-good highlight reel. The Chiefs signed Justin Fields away from the New York Jets this offseason specifically as insurance while Mahomes finishes rehab — a hedge, not a competition for the starting job. Fields brings 53 career NFL starts, easily the most experience on the roster behind Mahomes himself, and will likely serve as QB2 once Mahomes is cleared for full-time duty.
Behind Fields, Nussmeier and Oladokun are working out the third-string spot. Oladokun’s path here is a genuine underdog story — the Pittsburgh Steelers waived him back in 2022, and he only landed in Kansas City on a practice-squad deal. He got his shot in December when Mahomes went down, starting his first career NFL game on Christmas Day against Denver.
| Quarterback | Career NFL Starts | Camp Role |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 120+ | QB1 (rehabbing ACL/LCL) |
| Justin Fields | 53 | QB2 / Mahomes insurance |
| Garrett Nussmeier | 0 | Battling for QB3 |
| Chris Oladokun | 1 | Battling for QB3 |
What’s Next in St. Joseph
Camp runs through Aug. 20 at Missouri Western State University before the Chiefs shift practices back to their facility next to Arrowhead Stadium. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, back in Kansas City after previously running the offense from 2018-2022, is expected to lean on this stretch of camp to sort out how quickly Mahomes can retake full command of the huddle — and how much of the load Fields needs to be ready to carry if that timeline slips.
For now, the video did what it was supposed to do: give Chiefs fans a reason to believe the offense that carried this franchise for years still has its engine intact.
