Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL, but the early signs suggest this is anything but a slow rebuild.

The most recent source of optimism comes from the Chiefs' general manager, Brett Veach. 

"I'm not a doctor, but I know he'll be ahead of schedule, and I know what's going to happen in training camp. He's going to be begging Coach [Andy Reid] to play in that first preseason game," Veach told Peter Schrager on the Schrager Hour.

In late March, Mahomes posted a clip on his social media. It showed the Chiefs' QB doing the dropback at a moderate tempo. He wore a compression sleeve on his left knee.

Looking at the way his recovery is going, Mahomes would be able to suit up Week 1 this season. And going by Veach's optimism, the fans may get to see Mahomes throwing it in the pre-season itself.

But even though the GM was hopeful, he was careful not to get too far ahead of the moment.

"Hopefully, there are no setbacks. Again, I'm not trying to make predictions because I'm not a doctor, and it was a big injury. But it'll be exciting to just see him that first scramble, that first time he takes a hit, to see him get up, dust it off, and get right back to work," he added.

In 14 games during the 2025 regular season, Mahomes completed 315 of 502 passes for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and an 89.6 passer rating. He also scored five rushing touchdowns and ran for a career high 422 yards.

So, Mahomes' comeback early this season is getting stronger with each day.

Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs Ready To Bounce Back in 2026

Isaac Rochell, a former defensive end and TV analyst, made a prediction on an episode of Good Morning Football that Patrick Mahomes would come back stronger than ever in 2026.

"I'm picturing our boy Patrick Mahomes to be Comeback Player of the Year. I think this is going to be a situation where we have prime Mahomes. The biggest piece of this that nobody's talking about, and should be all we talk about, is the fact that [Eric] Bieniemy is back," Rochell said.

Rochell says that the return of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is the real game-changer that the Chiefs needed after the 6-11 season. The offensive coordinator returns to KC after being with the franchise for five seasons from 2018 to 2022.

Under him, Mahomes had the best seasons of his career. In 2022, he led the league in passing yards (5,250), touchdowns (41) and QBR (79).

Will Patrick Mahomes be fully healthy and back under center for the Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2026 season? Let us know in the comments.

Read more on the Quarter Back Central.

Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore