Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has begun rehab following surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee, and the team is optimistic the two-time MVP could be back early next season — perhaps even by the time Kansas City plays Week 1.
Rick Burkholder, their vice president of sports medicine and performance, said Wednesday the procedure performed in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper on Monday night went well. The operation happened about 24 hours after Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in a loss to the Chargers.
The recovery time for such an injury is about nine months, though it could vary by several months depending on various factors. Next season is expected to kick off on September 10, 2026, and the Chiefs could play their first game a few days later.
“Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,” Burkholder said. “[Mahomes] is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little bit faster. Ballpark on that is 9 months, however it could possibly be a month or two extra, a month or two much less.”
The loss to the Chargers eradicated the Chiefs from postseason competition, ending that streak at a decade. That they had additionally gained the previous 9 AFC West titles, reached the earlier seven convention championship video games and performed prior to now three Tremendous Bowls.
Now, backup Gardner Minshew will quarterback them via the ultimate three video games starting Sunday at Tennessee.
“Fast turnaround from a really emotional recreation, and clearly the state of affairs with Pat, the state of affairs with our workforce’s playoff image,” he mentioned. “However you understand what? You’re the place you are at. We have now to show this round and get a win this weekend.”
The Chiefs could possibly be lacking a number of massive names past their star quarterback.
Rashee Rice and fellow large receiver Tyquan Thornton are within the concussion protocol after taking vicious hits within the recreation towards Los Angeles, whereas left sort out Jaylon Moore stays out with a knee damage and proper sort out Jawaan Taylor is out with an elbow situation.
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On protection, cornerback Trent McDuffie remains to be coping with a knee damage and linebacker Leo Chenal with a shoulder downside.
None of these gamers practiced Wednesday.
“We’ll see how they roll timewise for the sport,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid mentioned.
As for Mahomes, he plans to return to Kansas Metropolis by Friday, the place he’ll proceed rehabbing with Burkholder’s employees. Main the trouble can be Julie Frymyer, his assistant coach and high bodily therapist, whose title made headlines in the course of the 2022-23 playoffs for her function in serving to Mahomes overcome a extreme high-ankle sprain with out having to overlook a recreation.
Frymyer was even featured alongside Mahomes not too long ago in a State Farm insurance coverage industrial.
“I feel you guys know, as a participant, his mindset is a little bit completely different than most,” Burkholder mentioned. “He is so regimented in what he does. He is in right here at 6 a.m. He is the final man out at night time. He’ll take the rehab like that. Whenever you add up all of the little issues, that permits the participant to get again quicker. They do not heal up quicker, they only get again to efficiency quicker.”
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Reid mentioned he is spoken day by day with Mahomes because the damage within the closing minutes of Sunday’s recreation.
“He is so optimistic proper now,” Reid mentioned. “Like Rick mentioned, he attacked this factor the day of. You would not count on something much less. ‘Get me up, get me going,’ he is principally saying, an hour after the sport. ‘Brace me up and let me go.’ It isn’t a kind of accidents, clearly, however that is his mindset. I feel he’ll do nice with the rehab. He is a fairly quick healer that approach. And his angle is 90% of issues, the way you go about it. The way you’re prepared to push via the ache to get proper.”
Minshew acknowledged an odd feeling strolling via the workforce facility with out Mahomes this week. However the two QBs have been in contact, and the veteran of 46 begins throughout seven NFL seasons is trying ahead to Mahomes’ enter the remainder of the best way.
“He is been nice, man. Quickly as he is been figuring issues out, he is been texting the QB room,” Minshew mentioned. “Very optimistic. Making an attempt to get us fired up. That dude nonetheless needs us to win. That is what he cares about.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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