Patrick Mahomes Spotted at Big-12 Game Between BYU-West Virginia with Gehrig Dieter, and Blake Bell

Patrick Mahomes attended BYU Cougars game against West Virginia while he continues his recovery process with the goal of playing week one NFL football.

Patrick Mahomes Spotted at Big-12 Game Between BYU-West Virginia with Gehrig Dieter, and Blake Bell

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watched BYU vs West Virginia on Wednesday (Image via IMAGO/X)

It was a star-studded affair at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Wednesday, March 11, to watch the high-voltage match between the #7 West Virginia basketball team and the #10 BYU Cougars. Patrick Mahomes made his first appearance at courtside after his ACL surgery.

Mahomes wore a grey oversized Adidas t-shirt, paired with black cargo pants and a matching cap. He wasn’t alone. Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Gehrig Dieter and tight end Blake Bell tagged along with the three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback. Elsewhere, Chiefs head coach and BYU alum Andy Reid also made an appearance, sporting a Cougars jersey.

BYU defeated the Mountaineers 68-48, extending its winning run to three games. On the final day of the season, BYU will be facing the #2 Houston Cougars.

Mahomes tore his ACL in December while trying to scramble in the Chargers game. The very next day, he moved to Dallas and underwent surgery to repair both the ACL and MCL. According to league sources, ACL reconstruction typically takes between 9 and 12 months to fully heal, and the Chiefs weren’t confident that Mahomes would be ready to return before Week 1 of 2026.

However, every athlete is different, and they recover at different paces. Despite the dad-bod rumors, Mahomes is still one of the fittest athletes in the NFL. After only a few months of rehabilitation, he appears to be on schedule to start for the Chiefs on opening day. FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer gave a favorable update on Mahomes’ rehab while appearing on the Dan Patrick Show.

His [Patrick’s] pain threshold is different, his work ethic is different. So at first they were like, ‘Oh, you know, start of the season.’ I would probably hedge on him being [back] sooner than that. By far. Because he just attacks things.

Glazer revealed via the New York Post (HT/ Yahoo Sports)

Mahomes played 14 games last year. He completed 62.7% of his passes for 3587 and threw 22 touchdown passes while also adding 5 scores on the ground. After he got injured, KC shuffled through Gardner Minshew and Chris Oladokun for the remainder of the season. They finished 6-11 and missed out on playoff qualification for the first time since Mahomes became the starter.

Patrick Mahomes received good news ahead of the 2026 season

Besides Mahomes, the future of another veteran player was also a concern for the Chiefs. Travis Kelce, 36, came close to hanging up his cleats last year. He agreed to stick around and complete the final year of the two-year contract he had signed in 2024.

Patrick Mahomes Spotted at Big-12 Game Between BYU-West Virginia with Gehrig Dieter, and Blake Bell
Patrick Mahomes (Image via IMAGO)

Kelce had two options left on his hands: either retire or enter free agency. The Chiefs allowed him time to think about his future plans. Earlier this week, Kelce officially confirmed he’ll be returning to the Chiefs for his 14th season.

In a chat with Pat McAfee on his show, Kelce shared that he’d decided to keep playing midway through last year. Any remaining doubts disappeared when the Chiefs brought in Eric Bieniemy as offensive coordinator.

Man, I’m still in love with this game, I still love going to work and putting on the pads, grinding it out, and just playing the game.

Kelce told McAfee

The All-Pro tight also thanked his fiancée, Taylor Swift, for inspiring him to keep building his football legacy. Kelce and Swift share an undying love for their respective craft.

That’s motivating for anyone to see, let alone my fiancée, and knowing that I’m going through something where I’m trying to figure out exactly what the future holds for me, something like that definitely motivates me.

Kelce said

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Kelce signed a one-year, $12 million contract that is worth up to $15 million. Kelce has made 192 appearances since being drafted during the third round in 2013. In those games, he has racked up 1080 receptions for 13,002 yards and 82 touchdowns.

Also Read: