The worst-case scenario in a season the Kansas City Chiefs would ultimately like to forget came to life on Sunday. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a season ending ACL tear, confirmed by the team in the hours after the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Officially eliminated from playoff contention now, the Chiefs will miss the postseason for the first time since 2014. The nine-year reign as AFC West champions — including a three-year stint atop the AFC — is finished. This offseason, the franchise will have to do some serious self-scouting and make difficult decisions about personnel to return to its former glory.
Kansas City will certainly look different in 2026 — but one player is certainly not going anywhere: Patrick Mahomes. He now faces an offseason of rehabilitation, but he has proven to be a player who overcomes serious injury impressively.
So when can we expect the three-time Super Bowl champion to be back under center?
For the past two weeks, Mahomes has been listed on the injury report with an undisclosed left knee injury. He was seen receiving treatment on the knee in the week 14 loss to the Houston Texans. In the loss to the Chargers, Mahomes was in visible discomfort after scrambling at one point during the game. It was a point of discussion during the broadcast.
Mahomes suffered a non-contact knee injury in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss. With his left foot planted on the ground, his knee appeared to hyper-extend, as well as externally rotate. This opened the door for several potential ligamentous injuries, including the ACL, PCL, and LCL, as well as a potential injury to the posterolateral corner of the knee. The best-case scenario — which was ruled out by MRI — was a hyperextension injury resulting in significant bone bruise.
While initial reporting confirmed Mahomes tore his ACL, we do not know whether there is additional structural damage. The timeline for Mahomes to return to the field in 2026 will depend on whether the ACL was injured in isolation or if there is additional ligamentous damage.
If the injury is the ACL in isolation, the typical timeline for a return to play is 9-12 months. With modern medicine, professional athletes are returning closer to nine months more commonly. Mahomes will almost certainly have surgery before the end of the year, making a return in August or September next year feasible. If other structures of the knee are impacted and need surgical intervention, the timeline would obviously extend.
Expect Mahomes to have surgery as soon as possible, once swelling in the knee subsides. Immediately post-operatively, his rehab will begin. Initial goals of rehab will include pain and inflammation control, restoring the normal range of motion, regaining control and strength in his quadriceps, progressing weight-bearing tolerance and normalizing gait.
Mahomes has shown a remarkable ability to rehab and recover from injuries in his career before. He returned to the lineup after missing two games with a dislocated right knee in 2019. He played through a high ankle sprain in the postseason and led the Chiefs to a victory in Super Bowl LVII — including a gutsy scramble on a bad ankle right through the heart of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense to seal the win.
Mahomes has proven through his career to have extraordinary heart and grit. He has an extreme desire to win. In the endearing words of former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy: ‘he is a competitive prick.’ Famously, Mahomes is a madman with his personal workouts and will attack this rehab like no other.
While the 2025 season will be remembered as a disappointment, I personally would not bet against him in his return. He will use this disappointment — and the Chiefs’ results on the field — as motivation in 2026 and beyond.
