Patrick Mahomes injury update: Chiefs' star QB posts video of recovery

Jason Sargent Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAYWed, March 25, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC

All good things come to an end. For the Kansas City Chiefs, 2025 saw their reign in the AFC West end with a 6-11 campaign.

The Chiefs struggled in close games but were still in playoff contention when two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers. A post-game MRI showed Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee.

Three months later, the Chiefs’ franchise quarterback is already on the field throwing.

Mahomes posted a video of himself to his Instagram story today with the caption “Day by Day! Felt Great being able to throw the ball around today!”

Mahomes wore a sleeve on his left leg in the video. That’s likely part of his recovery process to rehabilitate after surgery.

Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance, Rick Burkholder, gave a positive outlook on his recovery post-surgery back in December.

"Everything that he had in this injury was fixable, correctable and it was fixed,” Burkholder said. "He had no artery damage, no nerve damage, no joint surface damage, no meniscal damage. … As you know in the past with Patrick and his injuries, he attacks them and does very well and he's in that mode right now."

Mahomes said in January that his goal is to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. That would be less than 10 months removed from his surgery date.

“Obviously, I think the long term, I mean I want to be ready for Week 1," he said. "The doctor said that I could be, but I can’t predict what’s gonna happen throughout the process. But that’s my goal, and so I’ll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions – you know, you want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win."

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt acknowledged that timetable as well.

"He certainly has a goal to be back for the beginning of the season," Hunt said on “Good Morning Football” on Jan. 27. "I wouldn't put it past him. He's somebody in the past who has healed very quickly and, again, his work ethic, I think, gives him a huge advantage in getting back and being ready to play in 2026."

Hunt and Burkholder’s words show the team is hoping Mahomes will be good to go in Week 1 but their actions show they’re prepared for another possibility. Kansas City traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets for former first-round quarterback Justin Fields. That’s a small price to pay for a contending team to have some good insurance for their star quarterback.