Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence in His First Interview Since Surgery to Repair His Torn ACL

NEED TO KNOW

• Patrick Mahomes is speaking out about the injury that ended his ninth season in the NFL
• The quarterback spoke about his torn ACL and subsequent surgery and recovery, sharing that he is "hitting all the checkpoints" in rehab
• "I want to be ready for Week 1," Mahomes said

Patrick Mahomes is speaking out about the injury that ended his ninth season in the NFL.

In a video shared to the Kansas City Chiefs' Instagram account on Thursday, Jan. 15, the quarterback, 30, spoke about his torn ACL and subsequent surgery and recovery, sharing that he is "hitting all the checkpoints" in rehab as he hopes to return to training camp this fall.

"The doctor kind of gives you goals to get to," the NFL star continued. "I just try to maximize those – they hold me back, because I always want to go a little bit further."

"... I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could be, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process," Mahomes said. "That's my goal ... to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in [Organized Team Activities] and training camp, and be able to do a lot there."

In the final two minutes of the Chiefs' Dec. 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes fell to the ground in pain, clutching his left knee. Following an MRI, the team later confirmed that the quarterback suffered a torn ACL.

The Chiefs ultimately lost, eliminating the team from playoff contention.

Just one day after the injury, Mahomes underwent surgery to repair his ACL.

Mahomes said that he didn't think the injury was severe at first, and he even asked staff to put a brace on his knee so that he could finish the game — but an MRI showed that he had torn a ligament and needed surgery to repair the tear in his left ACL.

Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys' head team physician, performed the surgery about 24 hours later, ESPN reported. Cooper also repaired the torn LCL in the quarterback’s left knee, a league source told the outlet.

The expected period of recovery for this type of injury is around nine months, per ESPN. The next NFL season is set to begin on Sept. 10.

"So, I'm excited for the process. It's a long process, but I’m excited for it," Mahomes said on Thursday.

He shared that, while he has faced some challenges during his recovery, he remains optimistic about next season.

"What I've found out through this process is not every day is going to feel amazing," the father of three told the Associated Press. "You have to have somebody you trust that’s going to get the best out of you, but that’s going to keep you safe."

"Knowing me, I'm going to push it to the exact limit every single day," Mahomes told the outlet, opening up about being cautious while also trying to get back in the game. "There's places you can't go yet. You want to but you can't go yet. And they’re doing it for a reason. It starts with Dr. Cooper and his team, and [Chiefs physical therapist Julie Frymyer] and the training room."

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In his first comments after his injury, Mahomes expressed disappointment in a post on X on Sunday, writing, "Don't know why this had to happen."

"And not going to lie [it] hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again," he continued.

Retired NFL star Tom Bradyoffered Mahomes a bit of advice following the injury.

"You've just got to put as much diligence into the rehab process," said Brady, who tore his ACL in the opening game of the 2008 NFL season and later came back to win four more Super Bowls. "I always feel like the faster you rehab, the faster you can get back to practicing the sport that you know you love."

Read the original article on People