One of the most pressing questions surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs — and the NFL as a whole — moved closer to being resolved on Friday.
With training camp less than a week away, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been given the green light to fully participate in camp. The clearance comes seven months after Mahomes had surgery to fix tears to both the ACL and LCL in his left knee.
“Right now, he’s got clearance to practice and do all the different periods we have in this camp,” Reid said at a news conference in St. Joseph, Mo. “We’ll just take it day by day and see how he does. He’ll have plenty of eyes on him from coaches to trainers to doctors, but right now, he’s been cleared to go ahead and participate fully.”
When reporters asked whether Mahomes could be ready for the Chiefs’ season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, Reid expressed cautious optimism. “I’m optimistic, and I know (Mahomes) is extremely optimistic,” he said, adding, “Let’s just see where we’re at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day by day and see where it goes.”
Mahomes revealed that he actually received the clearance news on Wednesday from Dallas Cowboys team physician Dan Cooper, who performed the December surgery on his knee.
“I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt, as far as strength and lifting (weights),” Mahomes said. “I feel amazing. … I’m excited just to be able to play football. I’ve been seeing cinder block walls rehabbing every single day in Kansas City. Now, to be on that practice field with my teammates, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Mahomes, a two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP who turns 31 on Sept. 17, said he plans to wear a knee brace at the start of camp, though he hasn’t committed to keeping it on throughout the season.
“I will start with it on just because I feel like still I can move and be myself with it,” Mahomes said. “I played with it in college, and then we’ll just see where we go from there.”
The injury occurred during the final minutes of Kansas City’s 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14 — a defeat that ended the Chiefs’ playoff hopes.
The injury came during what was arguably Mahomes’ most difficult professional season. He completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards, with 22 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions — career-low marks in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns since becoming the team’s starter, though he sat out the final three regular-season games.
