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Just as he had planned<\/a> from the early stages of his injury recovery, Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> quarterback\u00a0<\/span>Patrick Mahomes<\/a> returned\u00a0<\/span>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\u00a0<\/span>Denver Broncos<\/a> on Monday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mahomes then quickly eased concerns about his knee when he finished his first offensive drive of the campaign by rushing for<\/a> a 15-yard touchdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Chiefs ultimately notched an impressive 31-10<\/a> “Monday Night Football” win, and Mahomes reflected on his remarkable journey following the victory.\u00a0<\/p>\n “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<\/a> 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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n 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\u00a0largely stealing the show in his official Chiefs debut.\u00a0<\/span>In total, Walker rushed\u00a0<\/span>for 173 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also tallied three receptions for 18 yards and a second score.\u00a0<\/p>\n “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<\/a> of the Associated Press. “…My guys around me helped me. I didn\u2019t play my best football, and we went out and beat a really good football team pretty well, and it\u2019s because the guys around me stepped up.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The rest of the NFL<\/a> 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<\/a> this coming Sunday night. Indianapolis suffered<\/a> a 41-23 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens<\/a>\u00a0this past Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n “It\u2019s just the start of it,” Mahomes added. “We\u2019re still so early in the season. It\u2019s a great win, but it\u2019s just Week 1.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTouchdown run gave Patrick Mahomes confidence to be himself<\/h2>\n
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Patrick Mahomes gives honest assessment of in-game return<\/h2>\n
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