Andy Reid Says There’s a ‘Pretty Good Chance’ Patrick Mahomes Sits Out Chiefs’ Preseason Opener

Patrick Mahomes has looked sharp through the first two weeks of Kansas City Chiefs training camp, but that doesn’t mean head coach Andy Reid is ready to send him out for live preseason snaps. Speaking to reporters Friday, Reid said the odds are leaning toward keeping Mahomes on the sideline when the Chiefs host the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason opener on Aug. 15, according to ESPN.

“I mean, there’s a pretty good chance where I don’t play him,” Reid said. “The percentages are leading that way. I don’t know if I’ll play him in the second or third game. I don’t know that. The percentages probably lean against not doing that.”

Mahomes, 30, tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee late in the fourth quarter of a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, according to KCTV5. He had surgery the next day in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper, who also repaired the torn LCL. The injury ended his season and knocked Kansas City out of the playoff picture for the first time since 2014.

A Cautious Approach After a Fast Recovery

Nine months is the typical recovery window for a multi-ligament knee injury like the one Mahomes suffered. He’s ahead of that pace. He was fully cleared for training camp in late July and has taken every first-team rep through camp’s opening practices, per ESPN.

Reid isn’t rushing him anyway. Mahomes has never sat out an entire preseason in his nine-year career, but Reid left open the possibility that could change this year. Part of the thinking has nothing to do with caution around the knee and everything to do with roster needs elsewhere.

“We’ve got new people in those other positions behind him that need some work,” Reid said, “and so the more reps they get, the better,” according to NBC Sports.

Backups Justin Fields, rookie Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun stand to benefit from extra live snaps against the Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 22 and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to close out the exhibition slate.

Camp Reports Have Been Encouraging

None of this reads as a red flag on Mahomes’ health. Reid has been complimentary of what he’s seen so far, telling reporters his quarterback’s mobility and ball placement have both looked normal in team drills, per ESPN. Mahomes has spent most of camp working with new backfield weapon Kenneth Walker III and has connected repeatedly downfield with receiver Tyquan Thornton.

Mahomes himself has stuck to one message all offseason: he wants to be under center for the Sept. 14 opener against the Denver Broncos, the team that won the AFC West while Kansas City was without him.

“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.

Reid has echoed that confidence without making any promises. Back in June, he said Kansas City would lean on Fields to start Week 1 if Mahomes wasn’t ready — but added he wouldn’t bet against his star quarterback beating the timeline.

What Comes Next

Sitting Mahomes for some or all of the preseason wouldn’t be unprecedented for a quarterback of his stature working back from a serious injury. The bigger question is whether the Chiefs get him any game reps at all before Week 1, given he’s coming off a procedure that can affect explosiveness and change-of-direction ability even after a clean recovery.

For now, Kansas City’s plan is the same one Reid has repeated since camp opened: take it day by day and let the medical staff drive the pace.