Mahomes says he'll play without limitations in Chiefs' opener

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  Nate TaylorSep 10, 2026, 03:23 PM ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Four days before his much-anticipated return to the field, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes shared that he expects to perform without any limitations Monday night against the Denver Broncos.

Mahomes, 30, will be the Chiefs' starter after he spent the past nine months rehabbing and recovering from the surgery that repaired the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, an injury that occurred Dec. 14. Since the Chiefs began their training camp seven weeks ago, Mahomes has worked to improve his mobility, doing so without missing any of the team's practices.

"You've got to go out there and be yourself," Mahomes said Thursday of playing the Broncos, who are projected to have one of the NFL's best defenses. "I've built up the strength [in my knee] and built up all the days of rehab so that I can be myself. I'm going to keep myself out of harms' way, like I always will, not trying to take big hits.

"But I'm a competitor, I signed up for this and I'm going to go out there and play football. That's how I've always rolled, no matter what it is."

Coach Andy Reid reiterated Thursday that the Chiefs' game plan on offense will not look different from previous season-opening games with Mahomes. In camp, Mahomes has executed plays that have needed him to roll out of the pocket in either direction or for him to keep the ball for a speed option.

"He's shown he can do [everything]," Reid said of Mahomes. "We won't hold anything back that we wouldn't normally. He's geared up and ready to go. It's just a matter of getting out there and playing.

"I know he's excited to get going. It's been hard for him to sit there and watch. That's not his style. I'm sure he'll be fired up to get out there and finally be able to play, especially [because of] the hard work he put into it."

Mahomes will open the season the same way Tom Brady and Robert Griffin III once did. In 2009, Brady returned from a torn ACL in his left knee to be ready for the Patriots' home opener on "Monday Night Football" against the Buffalo Bills, a game they won. Griffin, who had a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee, struggled on opening night in 2013, when the Washington Commanders loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite his first game from the most significant injury in his 10-year career, Mahomes said he will not be afraid to use his legs to help the Chiefs' offense have success.

"That's what makes me who I am," Mahomes said. "I just love competing. Playing quarterback is one thing, but you've got to love competing to have success in this league. I'll try not to lay any blocks [in the open field], hopefully -- unless it's needed."

Pivotal 11-on-11 reps in camp proved to Mahomes that he is unlikely to fully change his playing style, which features plenty of improvisation to extend plays to help him to find open receivers.

"I think it's going to be hard for me to not be myself when I step on the field," he said. "Even if you saw me in training camp, the moment stuff started to happen, I became a competitor."

An example Mahomes referenced occurred in early August.

In a two-minute, 11-on-11 drill, Mahomes noticed quickly that his passing options were covered on a fourth-down play. He scrambled to his right, hoping to reach the first-down marker. But rookie defensive tackle Peter Woods closed Mahomes' angle to the sideline. The quarterback responded by cutting back and used his right hand to make an underarm lateral attempt to running back Kenneth Walker III before falling to the turf. The repetition ended with cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace recovering the ball.

"I was like, 'Man, I shouldn't have done that,'" Mahomes said, smiling. "But looking back now, that was kind of the moment where I was like, 'Oh, my good, I can go out there and play.'

"I had someone hit me in the back at one of the practices and every coach was freaking out. But I was like, 'I'm glad someone hit me and I didn't just crumble.'"

Monday will mark the end of Mahomes' rehab, a stretch of 274 days from when he sustained his season-ending injury. When envisioning Monday's game, Mahomes expressed how proud he is to have accomplished everything he wanted in his rehab to be able to perform alongside his teammates against the Broncos.

"I'll have that at the maximum [support] here at Arrowhead [Stadium]," Mahomes said of performing in front of Chiefs fans. "The place will be rocking. I think that'll get me even more of a bump, more of an energy boost to go out there and be the best version of myself."