Chiefs GM says Patrick Mahomes is 'way ahead of schedule' after tearing ACL in December

“So, needless to say, he’s way ahead of schedule. I think the biggest challenge we’re going to have is protecting him against himself, because I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s going to want to be full go. But we’re going to have to hold him back a little. And, again, I don’t want to put a timetable on it. But I think you guys know the kind of person and competitor Pat is, and I would just say, we’re in a really good place right now.”

It’s unclear whether the team will allow Mahomes to fully return at that point. Veach said “protecting [Mahomes] against himself” would be a big challenge for both the quarterback and the team. While it sounds like everything has gone well with Mahomes’ recovery, the team doesn’t want to risk further injury by pushing Mahomes back into action too quickly.

If Mahomes were able to return in Week 1, it would be rare, but not unprecedented. Former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson did exactly that during the 2012 NFL season. The previous year, Peterson tore his ACL in December — roughly 10 days after Mahomes sustained his injury. Despite that, Peterson returned in time for Week 1 in 2012 and went on to rush for over 2,000 yards and win the MVP award.

That’s very obviously not the expectation for players coming back from ACL injuries. Still, given Mahomes’ quick recoveries in the past, that timeline can’t be ruled out for the two-time MVP.

Getting Mahomes back quickly would go a long way toward the Chiefs re-establishing themselves as contenders in 2026. Even with Mahomes, that could prove challenging. The team struggled when Mahomes was healthy last year, finishing 6-11.

If Mahomes is unable to return in Week 1, the team will turn to former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields, which it acquired in an offseason trade with the New York Jets.