The Kansas City Chiefs still don’t know when quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be able to return from the ACL and LCL injury he suffered in his left knee on Dec. 14.
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Mahomes had surgery in December to repair the two torn ligaments. The timeline for his return is iffy before early September.
During an interview with NFL Media’s Judy Battista on Saturday at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, head coach Andy Reid was asked if the Chiefs planned their offseason around Mahomes being available in Week 1.
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Reid suggested Kansas City did the opposite, trading for veteran quarterback Justin Fields in case Mahomes isn’t able to return at the “beginning” of the 2026 season.
“Well, we snuck out and got a good quarterback to back him up,” Reid said. “So, if he doesn’t, you know, if he’s not able to make it for the beginning of the season, then we know we’ve got a legitimate backup there that can go win games for us.”
Fields was a first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, serving as their starter when Russell Wilson was injured to begin the season.
Fields was the starter for the New York Jets in 2025 before being benched late in the season for Tyrod Taylor.
Reid provided a cautious update on Mahomes this offseason. The two-time NFL MVP has been in the building a lot. Still, Kansas City has no idea what the timeline will be for Mahomes to return.
“He’s doing great,” Reid said. “He spends a ton of time in the building. … He’s in there for seven hours a day. It’s showing, the progress. Now, to tell you a timeline? I mean, I know what he’s striving for. We’ll just see where it goes from there.”
In January, Mahomes told reporters he was hopeful he could return for Week 1 based on information he received from his doctors.
“I want to be ready for Week 1. The doctors said I could,” Mahomes said, “but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
It remains to be seen what work Mahomes will do during OTAs this spring. In the meantime, the Chiefs will have Fields throwing passes during drills at OTAs.
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