After months of recovery, Patrick Mahomes appears ready to lead the Kansas City Chiefs into the 2026 season. While medically cleared and nearing his comeback, he admits one crucial part of his recovery still hasn't happened

While speaking at training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, Mahomes admitted that his final hurdle is still ahead. He said that although he has been medically cleared, the confidence to perform at his best has yet to fully return.

"You'll never know until you get out there, and you get hit and make plays," Mahomes told reporters. "That's just kind of part of it. But I trust the process that I've been through. I feel amazing, and I just have to keep continuing with that."

In the same presser, Mahomes expressed that while that may have been the case, taking a hit will completely change his mindset back to normal.

"Then I'll take that first hit, just like you do every regular season, and then you get back to play football, a game you love,” said Mahomes.

Mahomes joined training camp on July 25, taking part in team drills without any limitations while connecting with Travis Kelce and rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen.

He hasn't been pushing his body too hard, but he's steadily making progress toward returning to the form he displayed a year ago.

An ACL and LCL tear generally takes around nine months to fully recover from, but Mahomes is back just 7.5 months after the injury, so he has been cautious about what he is doing.

While the star QB says he needs a bit more time to be fully back, Andy Reid has faith in him.

Patrick Mahomes cautious? Andy Reid isn’t

According to head coach Andy Reid, training camp is going smoothly, and he sees no setbacks in the team's progress.

On top of that, he believes Mahomes' comeback will be monumental for the Chiefs, as he remains confident in his quarterback.

"Yeah, he looked pretty good today, I thought. Strong," Reid told reporters after the first whole-team practice. "You see the strength in his legs, which is important with a leg injury. You kind of look at that first. See how his feet are moving, feet are moving well. So, I thought it was positive. I mean, I thought he looked well."

The head coach expressed that both he and the team are paying close attention to Mahomes' mechanics throughout training camp to ensure he isn't experiencing any discomfort.

"I'm obviously giving a close eye on him. I'm not the doctor, but I'm keeping a close eye on the small things, technique-wise," Reid said.

Last season was one of the most disastrous seasons for the Chiefs, as they finished with a 6-11 record.

The team is determined to redeem itself, and Mahomes' return is crucial to that effort.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason