Chiefs rumors: Patrick Mahomes nearing full clearance from ACL injury

The Kansas City Chiefs were thrilled to get out of a 2025 season where just about nothing went right for them. Their focus is fully tuned to 2026, where they hope to get back into the playoffs and near the top of the Super Bowl picture in the AFC.

Of course, all of those hopes hinge on the health of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The former NFL MVP had his 2025 season cut short by a torn ACL suffered in mid-December against the Los Angeles Chargers. Normally, the timeline for an ACL injury would put Mahomes out well into the 2026 season, but he has been ahead of schedule in his recovery and is targeting a return in Week 1.

Now, it appears he may be a full go even earlier than that. The hope is that the three-time Super Bowl champion is good to go in training camp as he nears full clearance in his rehab, per NFL insider Albert Breer.

“Coming off a torn ACL and LCL and a December surgery, Mahomes was already working in install periods, individuals and 7-on-7 through OTAs,” Breer wrote. “He’s trending toward being fully cleared relatively soon, but I’d expect Kansas City to be judicious with him early in camp—because when you tell him to go, he’ll go.”

The Chiefs traded for Justin Fields this offseason in case Mahomes wasn’t ready to start the season, but it looks like that won’t be an issue anymore with Mahomes nearing a return.

The star quarterback will have to carry a very heavy workload this season after the Chiefs didn’t address their need at wide receiver this offseason. While the offensive line should be solid and the addition of Kenneth Walker III will make the run game more explosive, the Chiefs are still relying on an aging Travis Kelce and a group of volatile receivers in Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to carry the load as pass-catchers.

If Kansas City is going to get back to its best, it’s clear that a healthy Mahomes is going to have to be the driving force behind that.

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