NFL Insider Gives Ominous Warning About Patrick Mahomes' Injury Recovery
NFL insider Adam Schefter warned Kansas City Chiefs fans will be wise to adjust their expectations regarding the return of Patrick Mahomes after the superstar quarterback's December 2025 ACL injury.
"The one thing that I think it's important to remember for everybody is: We're talking about a quarterback that tore his ACL," ESPN's Schefter said Monday, May 18, on The Pat McAfee Show. "It was five months ago on Thursday."
Mahomes, 30, tore both his ACL and LCL during a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on December 14, 2025. The Chiefs announced he "successfully underwent surgery" the following day.
While Schefter, 59, suggested that Mahomes is "gonna be out there" when the Chiefs open the regular season against the Denver Broncos on September 14, exactly what version of Mahomes fans can expect is an entirely different conversation.
"I think the better question, the more relevant question is - we're talking about a legendary, Hall of Fame quarterback - how much of Patrick Mahomes is he going to be in that opener?" Schefter said. "Is he going to be 80 percent? 90 percent? 100 percent? That's hard to imagine that he could just step in there right away after such a significant knee injury and pick up right where he left off and be as great as he's always been."
He continued, "I think there's going to be a little of an adjustment to what he's come back from, which is significant, to get back to where he is today. Everybody wants him back, on opening night, everybody wants him to be Patrick Mahomes. But I think expectations need to be tempered a little bit."
With all of that being said, Schefter noted that the Chiefs have been thrilled with the progress that their superstar quarterback has been making during the offseason.
"They have said that he is way ahead of schedule and it sounds like he is tracking to be ready in time for that Monday night regular season opener," he added. "The fact that he's out there playing golf is an indication."
Mahomes posted a video of himself golfing at an outing for his non-profit organization on Friday, May 15 - what many considered to be an encouraging sign regarding his ongoing recovery.
All along, Mahomes has vowed to be ready to go for the Chiefs first game of the season.
"Rehab is going great so far," Mahomes said during a virtual press conference on January 15. "I'm hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do. Getting the strength and range of mobility back. So that's been going great. Been doing all of it here in Kansas City so far."
He added, "I can't predict what's going to happen throughout the process, but that's my goal. I'll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions."
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:50 PM.