Patrick Mahomes is absolutely pushing to be under center for the Kansas City Chiefs' season premiere on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos on September 14, and honestly, who can blame him? The man has been grinding through rehab, and he wants back on the field, plain and simple.
After tearing his ACL late last season, Mahomes has been full throttle in the offseason program. He's had an extra two months of rehab, and the expectation is he'll ramp up his action early in training camp. When he spoke on Wednesday's edition of “Yahoo Sports Daily,” he sounded confident, saying the rehab process has him feeling ready to go for the season opener. But here's the kicker: it's not entirely his call. He knows the final decision rests with the medical staff and coaches, a point he's made multiple times this offseason. "That's my goal," Mahomes told Caroline Fenton, "I've said that since the beginning is being ready to go Week 1. I can't predict the future and I know that it's a long process. It's not just my decision, but at the same time I'm going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1." He wants it bad, you can feel that intensity.
And honestly, the team needs him bad, especially when you look back at 2025. The Chiefs spent a crazy amount of time last season being what some called one of the most unclutch teams ever. They followed up a 12-0 one-score record that took them to a Super Bowl appearance by utterly collapsing to a historic 1-9 in one-score scenarios last season. Think about that: 1-9! Per TruMedia, they were only the second NFL team since 2000 to have 10 one-score games and finish 1-9 or worse. Ouch. Everyone expects them to improve in those clutch moments in 2026, and a healthy Mahomes is step one. On a side note, keep an eye on Emari Demercado. The 27-year-old running back's career numbers are wild: 6.5 yards per carry over three seasons with the Cardinals, the best mark in the Super Bowl era for anyone with at least 100 carries. He led the entire NFL in 2025 with 5.52 yards after contact per attempt and 7.1 yards per carry, yet he's never had more than 79 touches in a season. What a mystery! The Chiefs also just launched something called "Kingdom Creators," their inaugural Creator Team, which is cool for content, but doesn't win games.
So, while Mahomes is giving it everything to be ready, the team's brutal 2025 season puts even more pressure on the medical staff's decision. We'll be watching closely to see if he gets the green light for Week 1. That opener against the Broncos is going to be a huge statement game no matter what.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.