Mahomes Faces Tough Road After ACL Injury on Sunday
2025 has been a rough year for former NFL MVP and Tyler, Texas native Patrick Mahomes. For the first time since being named the starter of the Kansas City Chiefs, the team won't make the playoffs. That, in its own right is rough. But, on top of that, Sunday during the final drive of the game, Patrick suffered a serious injury that could no only impact the Chiefs future, but could impact Patrick for the rest of his career.
Patrick Mahomes Injury Details
Late in the 4th quarter, while attempting a comeback drive against the rival LA Chargers, Mahomes went down with a knee injury. Patrick, who has been super durable during his NFL career, was seen in extreme discomfort. A few hours after the game, it was announced that Mahomes suffered a torn ACL. Below is what Patrick posted on X following the MRI results:
Losing yesterday's game not only eliminated the Chiefs from the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, but the loss of Patrick Mahomes could impact their future as well.
READ MORE: Pics from Patrick Mahomes' East Texas High School Days
Torn ACL to Sideline Tyler's Patrick Mahomes
In modern sports, ACL injuries happen all the time. However, while the injury itself has become common, the recovery process isn't as cut and dry. Depending on the severity, play style, surgery options, etc., recovery time can vary greatly.
While the Chiefs haven't announced any time table for Mahomes' recovery, according to Bass Medical Group, recovery from a torn ACL can be anywhere from 6-12 months - depending on the severity. According to reports online, it sounds like Patrick suffered a completely torn ACL. That pushes his recovery time to about 9 months at minimum.
If he had surgery right now, everything went according to plan, etc., Patrick could in theory return in time for Week 1 action of the 2026 season - which starts on September 10th. Again, that's if everything went perfectly smooth. Now, if his recovery time gets pushed out to 12 months or so, Patrick could end up missing roughly the first quarter of next season...which could put the Chiefs in a precarious predicament.
Mahomes injured. Travis Kelce's NFL future up in the air. This could potentially keep the Chiefs out of contention in the immediate future.
How Could Patrick Mahomes Look Following a Torn ACL
As mentioned above, ACL injuries are fairly common in the modern sports world. Most players comeback and return to form. Tom Brady tore his ACL, missed a year, and came back to win 4 more Super Bowls. So, unless something crazy happens, I have no doubt that Patrick will return to form once he eventually recovers.
Now, the one thing to keep an eye on will be how Patrick plays the position upon his return. While Mahomes isn't a 'running quarterback' like Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, movement is a BIG part of Patrick's game. He extends plays, scrambles to buy time, etc.. The ACL provides stability during sudden cuts, pivots, etc.. So, seeing how this injury impacts Mahomes' style of QB play is going to be something to keep an eye on.
While he still be able to conjure up "Mahomes Magic" when he needs a big play? I'm sure we'll find out pretty quickly when he returns to the field some time during the 2026 season.