Patrick Mahomes underwent surgery Monday evening to repair the torn ACL in his left knee that he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Also, per multiple reports, Mahomes had his LCL repaired during the procedure. The Chiefs announced the surgery to reapair his ACL, but did not mention the reported LCL procedure in their announcement.
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Per the Chiefs, Mahomes underwent the procedure in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper, the team physician for the Cowboys. They made the announcement hours after head coach Andy Reid told reporters that Mahomes was seeking a second opinion on his injury from Cooper.
While a timeline is not yet known, Reid said prior to Mahomes’ surgery that he’s optimistic that Mahomes will experience a “fairly quick recovery” as long as the surgery is a success.
Reid made his comments in his Monday news conference, a day after the devastating injury to Mahomes that was compounded in Kansas City by the Chiefs being eliminated from the playoff race.
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Why Mahomes wanted a second opinion
In his news conference Monday, Reid explained that seeking a second opinion is normal operating procedure in these circumstances.
It’s not clear from reports when the LCL damage was discovered. Reid was asked to clarify earlier Monday if Mahomes sustained damage to his meniscus or anything else in his knee other than his ACL. He pointed to the statement released by the Chiefs on Sunday announcing that Mahomes had torn his ACL.
“It’s just what they put out there,” Reid said. “We try not to hide too much from you. That’s not our game. I try to keep it right up front with you. That’s the information that they have, and they put it out for you.”
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The Chiefs have three regular-season games left. But with Mahomes injured and the Chiefs out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season, the bigger picture focus has shifted to the future and Mahomes’ long-term health.
When will Mahomes be ready to return to fooball?
Though the surgery is now behind him, there is no official timeline yet for Mahomes to return. The team only said on Monday night that he “will begin his rehab process immediately.” ACL tears generally sideline athletes anywhere from 6-12 months. It’s not immediately clear how the reported LCL procedure will impact his recovery.
Reid projected optimistic about Mahomes’ chances of returning sooner than late prior to his surgery.
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“You never know on these rehabs how they go,” Reid said. “I just know he’s got good people that he’ll be working with. I know how aggressive he is on things. As long as the surgery goes well and as expected, I would expect a fairly quick recovery for him just because of those factors.”
Tom Brady tore ACL at similar point in his career
The good news for Mahomes is that other elite athletes have suffered ACL tears and recovered to continue to play at a high level. The most apt comparison for Mahomes is Tom Brady, who sustained a torn ACL in his ninth NFL season, just like Mahomes.
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Brady tore his ACL in the first game of the 2008 season and returned for the start of the 2009 season. He went on to make 11 Pro Bowls and win two MVPs and four Super Bowls after his torn ACL. Brady’s run, obviously, is unprecedented and far from the standard that any athlete should expect. But Mahomes is also exceptional, and there’s reasonable hope that he can return to form after his rehab.
Mahomes vowed on social media Sunday to “be back stronger than ever.”
The immediate question becomes a matter of when Mahomes will be ready to return. The most optimistic typical timeline (six months) would have Mahomes return in mid-June, which would have him ready in time for training camp.
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A nine-month timeline would have him back in mid-September. The 2026 season is slated to kick off on Sept. 4. Anything beyond that would eat into a significant portion of the 2026 season.
Again, a timeline for Mahomes is not yet set. More will presumably be known in the near future now that surgery is complete.
