The 2026 NFL offseason is already unusual for the Kansas City Chiefs, who, over the previous three seasons, have competed for Super Bowl titles and played into February. This time around, they sit at 6-11, with their season finished and their draft pick decided in January.
The offseason will be especially atypical for star QB Patrick Mahomes, who faces recovery and rehabilitation from a significant knee injury, and the first such major injury of his professional career. In facing that injury and the rigorous rehab that comes with it, the offseason will look very different for Mahomes than in years past.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid says Patrick Mahomes will mostly rehab in Kansas City this offseason
A typical offseason for Patrick Mahomes has involved plenty of family time, some commercial shoots, and a good chunk of time training with his teammates in Texas. Speaking to media members during his 2025 NFL season-end presser, Chiefs HC Andy Reid gave an update on Mahomes’ knee injury and detailed his rehab plans, which will keep the star quarterback much closer to 1 Arrowhead Drive.
“First of all, he’s doing great for just being three weeks out or so,” Reid began. “He’ll go ahead and most likely stay up here for the majority of the time rehabbing. He and Julie (Frymyer), she’s the person who does all that RPT (rehab physical therapy), and so he has a lot of trust in her, and he’s been just in there grinding.
“I think they’ll just continue till we get started again. Not that he won’t take a break here or there, but right now, he’s in that early process where you’ve got to really hit it hard. And, you know, it’s not necessarily a fun thing to do every day. The important thing is that you show up, and that you keep coming, coming back for more, and he’s been doing that.”
It’s obviously nice to hear Mahomes is doing very well, three weeks post-OP. Frymyer helped Mahomes recover from ankle injuries during the postseason and from a kneecap injury during the 2019 NFL season. Rick Burkholder revealed weeks ago that she will handle his rehab physical therapy to help the knee regain range of motion.
Beyond the location of Mahomes’ offseason work and rehab, it’s also expected to change how they approach Phase 1 of the offseason workout program. While that phase is entirely voluntary, Reid has typically allowed the players to participate remotely in meetings. Mahomes has usually hosted throwing sessions for the offense in Texas during that time. That all appears to be subject to change this season.
“None of that is mandatory, other than the mandatory minicamp and then the rookie minicamp that takes place after the draft,” Reid said. “But there’s one mandatory minicamp. The rest of it’s voluntary. We will do Phase 1, and the players know that, and they have the dates and so on. They’ve got the calendar and so, but again, that’s a voluntary thing, and that’s where we’re at with it.”
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.