Patrick Mahomes Already Rehabbing Knee 2 Days After Surgery — Will He Recover in Time for Next Season?

NEED TO KNOW

• Kansas City Chiefs officials said Patrick Mahomes is already starting rehab on his knee
• The quarterback underwent surgery two days earlier to repair his ACL and LCL
• Mahomes tore two ligaments in his left knee on the final drive of the Chiefs' playoff-eliminating loss Sunday

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has already begun rehabbing his left knee after undergoing surgery to repair the two torn ligaments he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Team officials shared Mahomes' rehab news on Wednesday, Dec. 17, roughly 48 hours after the 30-year-old NFL star had the procedure done in Dallas.

Mahomes tore two ligaments — his ACL and his LCL — on a play late in the game, while the Chiefs were attempting to score on their final drive and save their season. After Mahomes was helped off the field, Kansas City failed to score and was mathematically eliminated from the NFL Playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

The Chiefs' vice president of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, told reporters on Wednesday that the “ballpark” estimation for Mahomes’ recovery window is roughly “nine months,” meaning the three-time Super Bowl MVP is aiming to return for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

"Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different," Burkholder said, according to ESPN, adding that Mahomes “is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker.”

“Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less,” Burkholder added.

The 2026 NFL season is expected to kick off the week of Sept. 10, according to ESPN.

Burkholder told reporters he expects Mahomes will be extremely focused on his rehab in the coming months: “I think you guys know, as a player, his mindset is a little different than most," the Chiefs medical official said. 

"He's so regimented in what he does,” Burkholder added. “He's in here at 6 a.m. He's the last guy out at night. He'll take the rehab like that. When you add up all the little things, that allows the player to get back faster. They don't heal up faster, they just get back to performance faster."

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also told reporters Wednesday that Mahomes seems “so positive” after Monday’s surgery.

“He attacked this thing the day of,” Mahomes’ longtime coach said. “You wouldn't expect anything less. 'Get me up, get me going,' he's basically saying, an hour after the game. 'Brace me up and let me go.' It's not one of those injuries, obviously, but that's his mindset. I think he'll do great with the rehab. He's a pretty fast healer that way. And his attitude is 90% of things, how you go about it. How you're willing to push through the pain to get right."

Reid told reporters Monday that Mahomes was "in a good place" following the season-ending injury, but said the two-time NFL MVP "feels like he let people down.”

Mahomes has not spoken with reporters since the injury, but shared a message on social media underscoring his determination to get healthy and back on the field to start next season.

“Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie, it hurts,” Mahomes posted. “But all we can do now is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.”

Mahomes added: “Thank you, Chiefs kingdom, for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I will be back stronger than ever ⏰.”

Read the original article on People