Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes could be on track to return to the field sooner than expected.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told SiriusXM on Monday morning that Mahomes’ rehab is well ahead of schedule. The strong progress puts Mahomes in a position to potentially take part in portions of the team’s offseason workout program if his recovery continues without setbacks.
“He’s way ahead of schedule,” Veach said. “I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have is protecting [Mahomes] against himself because I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s going to want to be a full-go.”
Mahomes is recovering from ACL and LCL tears in his left knee, which he suffered last December in the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. While the typical recovery timeline is nine to 12 months, his current progress puts him on track to potentially return for training camp, if not sooner.
“It’s been really inspiring,” Veach said. “I’ve been there before with Pat when he had that dislocated knee and worked his tail off to come back in three weeks. I knew this bump in the road wouldn’t slow him down at all.”
Even with Mahomes seemingly ahead of schedule, Veach focused on protecting him from himself throughout the rehab process. As much as getting him back on the field would provide a boost, the team remains focused on a cautious, long-term approach rather than rushing his return.
“We’re going to have to hold him back a little,” Veach said. “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but I think you know the type of person and competitor Pat [Mahomes] is. I would just say that we’re in a pretty good place right now.
While the organization remains committed to a cautious timeline, Mahomes’ rapid recovery is quickly making a return to training camp a realistic possibility. The focus now is less on the knee itself and more on managing his competitive drive to ensure he’s fully cleared before returning.
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