Patrick Mahomes gets double boost with new injury timeline and Chiefs’ updated draft plan

It’s long been known that Patrick Mahomes is an elite athlete.

But according to one NFL insider, the three time Super Bowl champion could also be a medical marvel too, as he’s been tipped to return from a serious knee injury well in time for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

Getty

Mahomes went down with a torn ACL in a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14 last year.

He underwent surgery one day later, to repair both the ACL, and LCL, in his left knee.

The typical recovery for such an injury is about nine months.

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season begins September 9, 2026, and returning in time for Kansas City’s first game would mark just under a nine-month turnaround for the star quarterback.

That puts Mahomes‘ involvement in the opener under serious doubt, given the typical time frame for a return from a torn ACL and LCL.

But according to Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer, the two-time MVP is built different.

Patrick Mahomes tipped to make early injury comeback

“The initial reports were on the fringe (of a return for Week 1),” Glazer told the Dan Patrick Show this week.

“But I want to tell you — He’s different. Patrick is different.

“So he went down, he immediately got the surgery. Flew himself down (to Dallas), I think he flew private down there. Got the surgery the next day, which normally they don’t do, because of the swelling.

“That was on (December 15). I believe it was either Thursday or Friday that week, he was already in the Chief’s training room doing rehab and he already had gotten his knee bending at 90 degrees at that point.”

Getty

“He’s just different. He heals differently.”

After detailing the early work Mahomes put in post-surgery, Glazer went on to predict that he could return far earlier than Week 1.

“His pain threshold’s different, his work ethic’s different,” the insider explained.

“So, at first, they’re like, ‘Oh, you know, start of the season.’ I think I would probably hedge on him being well sooner than that. By far.

“He just attacks things, man.”

While the Chiefs are in need of an offseason reset following a disappointing 6-11 finish in 2025, having their most important player back ahead of schedule will be a huge boost.

Getty

Instead of throwing him in the deep end for Week 1, it sounds like Mahomes could feature in preseason, or even in summer minicamp.

He could also have a new weapon to work with in 2026.

Chiefs linked with exciting wide receiver in draft

Thanks to a blockbuster Trent McDuffie trade, which will see the All-Pro cornerback head to the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City now holds plenty of draft picks.

The franchise has nine selections in 2026, including two in the first round. That will no doubt be helpful, as they have plenty of roster issues that need to be addressed.

NFL's Greatest......

Ranking the top 10......

Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady?

Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top?

Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more

Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare?

One of those is at wide receiver. In 2025, the Chiefs hoped that once they got Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Xavier Worthy on the field at the same time, that their issues would be solved.

But that wasn’t how things worked out, and at the draft, they could look to bring an exciting young talent into the room.

Kansas City needs a reliable deep threat wideout, and according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Makai Lemon could be the perfect fit.

In a PFF ranking for how each top WR fared on deep passes last season, the USC prospect came out on top.

Getty

“Lemon does not have elite size, but he makes up for it with his ability to separate and glide down the field (79.8% separation rate in 2025),” the ranking revealed.

“He earned a perfect 99.9 PFF receiving grade on targets of 20-plus yards last season. He led the class with 16 catches (tied) for 522 yards on those plays, generating a 147.1 passer rating when targeted.

“Lemon caught five touchdowns, averaged 6.8 yards after the catch per reception (ninth best) and secured five of seven contested targets.

“He paces the class with a 97.7 PFF receiving grade on deep targets over the past two seasons. In that span, he caught 24 of 42 targets for 790 yards (fourth most) and six touchdowns.”

Getty

Those stats make for very interesting reading.

While Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson are expected to come off the board early, Lemon won’t far behind, but will likely still be available when the Chiefs are on the clock with the ninth overall pick.

Should he arrive at Arrowhead this summer, he would be a welcome addition to KC’s receiving corps, and would give Mahomes even more motivation to make a swift return.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.