Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes certainly believes he will be ready to play by the 2026 season opener after undergoing surgery on Dec. 15 to repair a torn ACL.
And the Chiefs are certainly hoping he’s right.
“Obviously, I want to be ready for Week 1,” Mahomes recently told reporters. “The doctor said I could be, [and while we] can’t predict what’s going to happen throughout the process, that’s my goal.
“I’ll try to prepare myself to play in Week 1, and have no restrictions. So, hopefully [I’ll] be able to do some stuff in OTAs, and then get to training camp and be able to do a lot of stuff. It’s a long process, but I’m excited for it.”
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But despite the optimism coming from Mahomes’ camp about his recovery timeline, few would blame the Chiefs if they had a contingency plan in place just in case Mahomes does miss the first part of the season (ACL recoveries typically take 9-12 months).
And that’s exactly why ESPN’s Seth Walder thinks the Chiefs could go and acquire a veteran backup with plenty of starting experience as an insurance policy — and Walder believes that player is former Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota.
“Any prediction about [Mahomes’] Week 1 status is just a guess, so I imagine that the Chiefs would want to be cautious with Mahomes, given his importance to the franchise,” Walder wrote. “If that is the case, they’d want a reliable backup who can ideally win a few games while Mahomes finishes up his recovery. I believe Mariota fits the bill.
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“The 32-year-old stood in for Jayden Daniels for eight starts in Washington last season and was capable, with a 50.2 QBR. He has a long history of being solid, which is essentially what Kansas City needs — a player who can keep the team afloat in Mahomes’ absence but is willing to be a backup and won’t be overly expensive.”
Playing in 11 games in relief of Jayden Daniels, Mariota had a strong performance.
The 32-year-old threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 297 yards and another score. During his 11-year career, Mariota has a 36-46 record as a starter, including a 29-32 record with the Tennessee Titans.