Andy Reid and Chiefs Will Not Rush Patrick Mahomes Back Amidst ACL Tear Recovery

It is now official that Andy Reid and his Kansas City Chiefs will open their season against Sean Payton‘s Denver Broncos. But instead of the usual situation where Patrick Mahomes leads the team out in front of their fans, it will be Justin Fields.

The superstar quarterback has been in recovery mode ever since he tore both his ACL and MCL during their Week 15 clash against the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

Usually, the recovery time period after surgically repairing both those completely torn ligaments is around a year. But as the days go by, athletes are proving that they can make it back faster.

When a video dropped of Mahomes slinging a football, a mere 100 days after his 2025 season ended, it left fans in awe. They felt the three-time Super Bowl MVP was on track to return as soon as the 2026 season-opener.

I can tell you that… I hear people saying, ‘He’s ahead of schedule.’ I’m not sure who makes the schedule… He’s getting better every day.

Andy Reid said

This was the 68-year-old head coach making it clear that all the rumors that Patrick Mahomes is ‘ahead of schedule’ are not true. Reid does not want to place a timeline on his signal caller’s return, as he and the Chiefs are not going to rush him back.

Kansas City H.C. Andy Reid zoomed in with Rich yesterday to discuss the return of of his QB Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL & LCL in Week 15 last season.@Chiefs #NFL #ScheduleRelease pic.twitter.com/dx59n2DUFR

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 15, 2026

The cheeseburger-loving coach did mention that his playmaker is making significant progress under the guidance of the team’s trainers. However, they want to take their time despite the expectations of fans and the league alike.

Andy Reid trolls NFL for trying to force Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix back

After making it clear that Patrick Mahomes is not returning sooner than expected, host Rich Eisen pointed out to Andy Reid that most of the rumors were fueled when the NFL scheduled the Chiefs to take on the Broncos to start their season.

Deep down, Roger Goodell wanted to be a physical therapist. So he said, ‘Listen, two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL need some motivation to get them back on the football field. Let’s pit them against each other.’

Andy Reid said

The head coach was clearly trolling Roger Goodell for trying to force the issue. Both Mahomes and Bo Nix are recovering from their respective injuries, and they need their time to come back fully healthy.

However, Reid said that both his Chiefs and the Broncos would have no problem starting their seasons against each other. That may be because it is better to get past the tougher games early rather than late in the season.

Andy Reid expects Kenneth Walker to boost Chiefs

Andy Reid may fancy his chances against the Denver Broncos without Patrick Mahomes in their season-opener. He has Justin Fields, whereas the Colorado-based team will have to do with Jarrett Stidham.

However, the 2002 Coach of the Year has an ace up his sleeve, Kenneth Walker, whom they signed to a massive deal in free agency. When Rich Eisen asked Reid how they expect to utilize the running back, the coach replied:

He’s a heck of a player… We’ll utilize him… I think he’s excited to be here. He’s been here every day during the OTAs, working his tail off.

Andy Reid said

"He's a heck of a player. … I think he's excited to be here. He's been here everyday during the OTA's working his tail off."

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid discusses what Kenneth Walker III will bring into the offense going into the 2026-27 season 🏈

(via @richeisenshow) pic.twitter.com/4RvBpl0gOf

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 15, 2026

This may not be a clear-cut answer, but the Chiefs’ leader has a penchant for leaving answers open-ended. If the Super Bowl LX MVP is working ‘his tail off’ every day at the OTAs, then expect Reid to unleash him and Fields as a dynamic duo against the Broncos.

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