Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14, 2025, against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The normal recovery time for that kind of injury is nine to twelve months, but Mahomes is already on pace to be a part of the first OTAs for Kansas City on May 26, less than six months later. 

The first to say that out loud was NFL analyst Chris Simms. Speaking on Chris Simms Unbuttoned while reacting to Andy Reid’s recent rehab updates, Simms gave his take on the situation.

“He’s a psycho of psychos. It’s all day. It’s every day. You knew he would be on a mission to be back with his team even in OTAs… Mahomes is everything you want, for all the right reasons.”

The reaction was not isolated. Reid said Mahomes has been throwing on his own and is “in a good position to be able to do some things” during OTA, non-contact sessions that give him a controlled environment to ease back in without setbacks. 

Former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu shared the same disbelief from a player’s perspective. Speaking on his podcast In The Bayou, Mathieu said, 

"I heard Pat is already supposed to be coming back for OTAs; I always thought he was an alien," said Mathieu via SleeperChiefs on X. 

For Chiefs fans, that quote captured exactly how they feel, equal parts relieved and unsurprised, because with Mahomes, beating the timeline has almost become expected.

Fans React to Patrick Mahomes Beating His Injury Timeline

Mathieu’s and Simms' comments on Mahomes went viral at warp speed, with fans flooding social media with reactions that summed up exactly what Mahomes means to this fanbase. 

"Well said for once @CSimmsQB," said one fan.

Another fan validated Mathieu’s comment, saying:

"He IS an Alien."

Mahomes tore both his ACL and LCL together, an injury that puts most players on the shelf for nearly a year, and he’s back throwing in less than six months. One commenter, however, shared that full-on contact practice was unlikely.

“Andy said he could do "some things" pretty vague, prolly nothing too physical”

"KC loves Tyrann," commented another user, reacting warmly to Mathieu's words. 

The 3x Super Bowl winner has fans' hopes up for another win, with one fan commenting.

“Mahomes will lead the Chiefs to the SB this season!”

The general feeling among Chiefs fans was one of surprise coupled with total acceptance. With Mahomes, the extraordinary has quietly become the norm. 

Do you think Mahomes will be healthy enough to lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl?

Follow Quarter Back Central for more.

Written by

Abhay Bharti

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi