Chiefs QB Mahomes 'way ahead of schedule' in knee injury recovery

Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 15. Since then, one question has dominated the Kansas City Chiefs' offseason: Will he be ready for Week 1?

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Chiefs GM Brett Veach sounded optimistic, describing how Mahomes is "way ahead of schedule" in his rehab.

Reading between the lines of Veach's comments, the bigger problem seems to be keeping Mahomes from overdoing it.

Chiefs knew Mahomes wouldn't be slowed

Earlier in his career, Mahomes dislocated his knee and was back on the field within three weeks.

Veach experienced how hard Mahomes worked to get healthy then, and he sees a similar work ethic from the 30-year-old this time around.

The comment, "I think the biggest challenge that we're going to have is protecting him from himself," was the one that really hit home.

For a player recovering from a major injury, and with several months to go before a meaningful game, that's about as good as it gets.

What happens next with Mahomes

OTAs in three weeks will give the first real indication of what Mahomes can do, with mandatory minicamp following in June.

When asked about Mahomes and OTAs at a recent press conference, head coach Andy Reid said his quarterback is in a "good position" to take part in certain aspects but stopped well short of committing to anything.

Ian Rapoport discussed the importance of not rushing the process on The Insiders, available to Game Pass subscribers on DAZN.

The Chiefs added insurance in March, trading a 2027 sixth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Justin Fields.

Kansas also added a developmental quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting LSU product Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round.

Both are expected to see more work, while Mahomes takes a cautious approach, but the way the two-time MVP is attacking his rehab, he appears to be on track to open the season.