Is 2026 Too Soon for the Return of Kansas City’s Three-Time Super Bowl MVP Quarterback After Injury?
The competitive nature of Patrick Mahomes is a double-edged sword, with one edge slashing its way to seven consecutive AFC Championship appearances and five Super Bowl appearances, with three victories out of those five. However, the other edge can swing back at the man himself, putting at risk the well-being and career of one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. This can be encapsulated in the 2023 Divisional Round playoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter during a tackle by Jacksonville linebacker Arden Key, Mahomes limped to the sideline, insisted he was fine, then limped back onto the field with the intention of finishing the drive. Ultimately, Andy Reid pulled the All-Pro off the field and insisted that his generational quarterback get an X-ray. The future Hall of Famer finally relented after expressing his frustration with a loud expletive. When the X-ray came back clear, Mahomes returned for the second half in relief of backup quarterback Chad Henne, who had led the Chiefs to a 98-yard touchdown drive in Mahomes’ absence. Playing through the pain, the two-time league MVP would lead Kansas City to a win to begin a triumphant postseason that culminated in a Super Bowl victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It is this tenacity that will fit Mahomes with a yellow jacket one day, but there is a balance that must be maintained to save the player from himself. The left knee injury he sustained last year in Week 15 against the Chargers is his most significant to date. A torn ACL and LCL takes approximately nine months to a year to heal. With the opening day of the season being in September, that’s just about at the nine-month mark after the injury. Mahomes is the very heart of the franchise, and trotting him out there against Denver in KC’s first game of the year is a risk that could derail the franchise in the long term. However, with Mahomes in the prime of his career, it’s understandable why the Chiefs would be hesitant to keep him off the field for any significant amount of time when he’s seemingly so ahead of schedule in his rehab to this point. Mahomes looked good at minicamp, slinging the ball during seven-on-seven drills, though he has yet to participate in 11-on-11s. Optimism is high going into training camp in July, but of course, off-season practice is a world away from an actual game.
Justin Fields looked good in the first half of the 2024 season while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was sidelined when Russell Wilson returned from injury. If the Chiefs decide to err on the side of caution and keep Mahomes on the bench for a time, Fields, under quarterback whisperer Andy Reid, could be more than a competent option. Of course, Mahomes will battle to start, and even if the face of the NFL looks great in training camp and takes a few good reps in the preseason, Kansas City has a rebuilt running backs room led by Kenneth Walker III to pair with the dual threat in Fields. The fate of the dynasty rests on the shoulders and the knee of their superstar; it may behoove the Chiefs to protect that investment with more time off the field because just nine months post-injury may be tempting fate.
