Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Held Out of Full Team Periods on Thursday

The Kansas City Chiefs have been managing Patrick Mahomes' recovery with care since the moment he went down. On December 14, Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The setback ended his season with three games remaining and immediately raised questions about his availability for 2026.

Surgery came the next day, and the rehabilitation process has progressed ever since. The Chiefs have not committed to a hard return date, but the expectation remains that Mahomes will be ready for Week 1.

Mahomes showed up to the Chiefs' voluntary OTAs on Tuesday and was seen wearing a large brace on his surgically repaired left knee while participating in throwing drills.

He was present again on Thursday and participated in 7-on-7 work but not 11-on-11 team periods, according to Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney.

After practice, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Mahomes is able to execute all of the dropbacks within the Chiefs' offense (h/t ESPN's Nate Taylor). Taylor also confirmed that the Chiefs held him out of full-team work as a precaution, specifically to avoid having him manage his footwork in muddy, unclean pockets while surrounded by linemen.

Andy Reid shared that Patrick Mahomes is able to do all the dropbacks within in the Chiefs' offense.



Mahomes was held out of team periods as a precautionary measure to make sure he didn't manage his footwork in muddy, unclean pockets while being surrounded by linemen.

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) May 28, 2026

Mahomes himself addressed where things stand after practice, per A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman. The two-time league MVP identified running and cutting as the next recovery milestone. He also acknowledged that clearance from the medical staff will depend on demonstrating the ability to protect himself in live situations.

"Next step will be getting with the team and getting under center. It's a process, you've got to stay a part of it," Mahomes said. "You have to stay great everyday, if you do that… you get the opportunity to get out there on the field."

The Chiefs open the 2026 NFL season against the Denver Broncos Monday, Sept 14 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, with live coverage on ABC and ESPN.

Related: Andy Reid Shares Update on Patrick Mahomes' On-Field Progress

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 3:02 PM.