Just as he had planned from the early stages of his injury recovery, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes returned from the torn ACL and torn LCL he suffered on Dec. 14, 2025, in time to start the Chiefs’ 2026 season opener versus the rival Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Mahomes then quickly eased concerns about his knee when he finished his first offensive drive of the campaign by rushing for a 15-yard touchdown.
The Chiefs ultimately notched an impressive 31-10 “Monday Night Football” win, and Mahomes reflected on his remarkable journey following the victory.
Touchdown run gave Patrick Mahomes confidence to be himself
“Going for the end zone, it kind of gave me that confidence that I can go out there and be myself,” Mahomes explained, per Nate Taylor of ESPN. “I just wanted to play. I had done so much rehab and so much work to put myself in this position. I just wanted to get out there and play. This is what you do it for. That was definitely the moment, physically, to say all this work has paid off. I didn’t feel anything.”
Mahomes wasn’t perfect on the evening, as he went 15-of-27 passing for 184 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He didn’t need to be at his absolute best, though, thanks to running back and free-agent signing Kenneth Walker III largely stealing the show in his official Chiefs debut. In total, Walker rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also tallied three receptions for 18 yards and a second score.
Patrick Mahomes gives honest assessment of in-game return
“If I was going to say I was nervous for anything, it was getting hit on it,” Mahomes said about his surgically repaired knee during his postgame comments, per Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. “…My guys around me helped me. I didn’t play my best football, and we went out and beat a really good football team pretty well, and it’s because the guys around me stepped up.”
The rest of the NFL may want to be nervous about what it could look like when Mahomes starts playing his “best football” this fall. As for the Chiefs, they next host the 0-1 Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday night. Indianapolis suffered a 41-23 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday.
“It’s just the start of it,” Mahomes added. “We’re still so early in the season. It’s a great win, but it’s just Week 1.”