Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes tore his left ACL and LCL in Week 15 last season on December 14th. Now he appears on track to be cleared less than 8 months later. SI’s Albert Breer reports that Mahomes is “way ahead of the normal ACL/LCL rehab timeline” and that “He’s trending toward being cleared for 11-on-11 work at the start of camp.” If that happens, he’d have plenty of practice time before Week 1.
What They're Saying
Albert Breer of SI: “Mahomes has been in on installs, individual and seven-on-sevens through the spring. His arm has looked good, given how rehab limited his throwing work over the past six months. He’s trending toward being cleared for 11-on-11 work at the start of camp, but the plan is to be smart here. The Chiefs know, given the competitor in question, once they tell Mahomes he can go, he will go; they’ll likely pace him some early on. But he’s in a good place, way ahead of the normal ACL/LCL rehab timeline.”
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
This is certainly positive news for Mahomes’ fantasy outlook. He has already shown a willingness to play through injury, including winning Super Bowl 57 with a high ankle sprain, so the accelerated knee timeline isn’t a huge surprise.
Any QB coming off a significant knee injury carries risk. Mahomes still might not be 100% early in the season, and any hit to his mobility would likely cut into his rushing. That matters because 22.0% of his fantasy scoring in 2025 came from his rushing, the highest share of his career. He’d need to offset any drop there with better passing production.
Mahomes is no longer a QB1 lock, but he’d be worth targeting if he slips into the mid-QB2 range in drafts.
