Patrick Mahomes’ road back to the field is beginning to take shape after undergoing surgery, giving the Chiefs and their fans an early sense of what lies ahead. While no firm return date has been set, early indications suggest the recovery will extend well into next season, putting patience at the center of Kansas City’s plans.
That timeline was sharpened by ESPN insider Adam Schefter, who offered a clear estimate based on similar injuries. “Typical recovery for an injury like this is about nine months, which would be about Sept. 15th, putting Patrick Mahomes up against the start of the 2026 season,” Schefter wrote on X.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, confirmed the successful start of that process with an official update of their own. “Patrick Mahomes successfully underwent surgery in Dallas this evening with Dr. Dan Cooper to repair the tear in his left ACL. Mahomes will begin his rehab process immediately,” the team announced on X, signaling that while the wait may be long, the recovery has already begun.
Playoffs will be different without Chiefs and Mahomes
Rich Eisen was quite clear recently about how much Mahomes and his team will be missed in the playoffs: “You’re going to miss [the Chiefs in the playoffs] … The league is more fun when the Chiefs are good. … I can’t wait to see how they’re going to come back and make it happen again.”
People had become accustomed to seeing them either trying to win or defending a Super Bowl, while other teams might have a certain advantage by not facing them in the playoffs. “With NO Mahomes, NO Burrow and possibly NO Lamar in the playoffs, Sean McDermott and the Bills have NO EXCUSES,” said Jim Rome.
As is now known, the Chiefs will not have Mahomes and will have to use their backup quarterback for the rest of the regular season. However, it is probable they will try to find a better quarterback next season to prevent things from worsening while their starter recovers.