Patrick Mahomes can already bend his knee 90 degrees just days after undergoing surgery on a torn ACL and LCL, according to reports.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback suffered the multi-ligament knee injury in last week’s 16-13 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, a loss which officially eliminated them from playoff contention.
It proved a disastrous afternoon all round for Andy Reid’s team, with the typical nine-to-12-month recovery timeline leaving Mahomes with a race against time to be fit for the start of the 2026 season.
Yet after having his surgery in less than 24 hours – which is common for LCL tears despite fans expressing their concern over operating before swelling is reduced – he is already making astonishing progress in his recovery.
According to Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer, Mahomes is already capable of a 90-degree bend in his injured left knee, something which is usually achieved 1-2 weeks post-op.
Having jetted back to Kansas City on Thursday, the three-time Super Bowl winner started his rehabilitation program at the Chiefs facility on Saturday.
Patrick Mahomes can already bend his knee 90 degrees just days after undergoing surgery
The Chiefs quarterback suffered a torn ACL and LCL in their loss to the Chargers last week
‘They’re saying it’s a nine-month recovery, Patrick Mahomes though we know is different. He’s gonna attack this,’ Glazer added.
The 2026 NFL season is expected to kick off on September 10, and the Chiefs could play their first game a few days later.
Rick Burkholder, Kansas City’s vice president of sports medicine and performance, said Wednesday the procedure performed by Dr. Dan Cooper on Monday night went well and, as a result, the team is optimistic he could return early next season.
‘Every player is different. Every sport is different. Every position is different,’ Burkholder said. ‘(Mahomes) is so in tune to what he does, he does it a little quicker.
‘Ballpark on this is nine months, but it could be a month or two more, a month or two less.’
Typically, a return to sports before the nine-month mark is not advised when recovering from an ACL tear, while it may also take 12 to 15 months to regain full strength in the knee.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Dr Jesse Morse – a board-certified sports medicine physician with over a decade of experience – warned the Chiefs that Mahomes will be a ‘shell of his normal self’ if he returns before the 12-month mark.
‘Mahomes is going to do everything in his power to be back for week one next year, in my opinion. But he is not going to look very good,’ Morse claimed.
Mahomes, pictured alongside wife Brittany, now faces a tough period of rehabilitation
‘He’s going to look like a shell of his normal self, he’s not going to have the mobility that you expect out of him, and that really won’t return until probably 2027. Traditionally this takes 12 to 15 months. These are long recoveries, these are frustrating recoveries.
‘But even if he doesn’t have the same physical abilities that he usually does, mentally, with his arm strength, some mobility is better than 99 percent of the backups. That’s how I think it will play out.’
And what about the risk of reinjury? ‘I’ll probably say hypothetically he’s going to be about 65 percent [by Week 1],’ the injury expert added. ‘I don’t think they’ll clear him unless he’s ready to return. Sometimes he’ll be wanting to go but the team’s like, ‘Nope, we don’t feel you’re ready,’ and he’s too important to the franchise to justify it.
‘But in general, yes, he has increased risk. That’s why they don’t allow players to return before certain timelines because there’s a risk of reinjury; just like a hamstring, just like a PCL, just like any of the other things, especially post-surgical where there’s a lot of shaking off the rust.’
