Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is finally weighing in on teammate Patrick Mahomes and the quarterback’s possible return timeline following last season’s major knee injury.
Mahomes has spent the offseason rehabbing after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14, 2025. The injury immediately sparked questions about whether the Chiefs’ star would be ready for Kansas City’s season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14.
Now, Kelce is offering his first public comments about Mahomes’ recovery.
During the May 20 episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Jason Kelce directly asked his younger brother whether Mahomes would be back on the field in Week 1.
“Trav, do we get to have Patrick Mahomes on the field Monday night?” Jason asked. “Is he back week one?”
Jason also joked that the NFL already appears confident Mahomes will play after promoting Kansas City heavily during recent presentations tied to the upcoming schedule release.
Travis avoided making any guarantees but praised Mahomes’ work ethic throughout rehab.
“That man’s working his ass off. I know that,” Travis responded.
Jason immediately laughed and called the answer “corporate,” noting that Travis did not officially confirm or deny anything about Mahomes’ availability.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach Says Patrick Mahomes Is ‘Way Ahead of Schedule’
Even without an official return date, several people within the Chiefs organization continue to express optimism about Mahomes’ recovery.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach recently appeared on SiriusXM and revealed that Mahomes has exceeded expectations during rehab.
“He’s way ahead of schedule,” Veach said.
According to Veach, the team’s biggest challenge may actually involve slowing Mahomes down once training camp begins in St. Joseph, Missouri.
“I think the biggest challenge that we’re going to have is protecting [Mahomes] against himself because I’m sure when we get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp, he’s going to want to be a full-go,” Veach explained.
Veach also praised Mahomes for attacking rehabilitation the same way he approached previous injuries.
“It’s been really inspiring,” Veach said. “I’ve been there before with Pat when he had that dislocated knee and worked his tail off to come back in three weeks.”
“I knew this bump in the road wouldn’t slow him down at all.”
Even with the encouraging progress, Veach stressed that the Chiefs remain focused on taking a cautious approach.
“We’re going to have to hold him back a little,” Veach admitted. “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but I think you know the type of person and competitor Pat is.”
Patrick Mahomes Recovery Videos Continue Fueling Optimism
Speculation about Mahomes’ return ramped up again after the quarterback recently appeared at his charity golf tournament in Las Vegas.
Video from the event quickly spread online, showing Mahomes taking full golf swings while wearing a compression sleeve on his injured knee.
Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel later explained why the footage could be an encouraging sign.
“I mean, look at his swing. Look at his left knee,” Daniel said.
“What I’m looking at right now: if you can’t swing a golf club at five and a half months post-op, then there is no way you are playing.”
“But, he can, and he’s rotating it just enough to get enough juice on it.”
Daniel added that Mahomes’ ability to rotate through the swing motion was particularly notable.
“If you can rotate that knee and swing a golf club, this is really, really good news,” he said.
Meanwhile, ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently cautioned that Mahomes may still need time before returning fully to his normal form.
“Is he gonna be 80%, 90%, 100%?” Schefter asked during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I just think there’s gonna be a little bit of an adjustment to what he’s come back from, which is significant.”
The NFL schedule itself appears to reflect confidence in Mahomes returning sooner rather than later.
Kansas City opens the season in prime time against Denver before hosting the Indianapolis Colts in another nationally televised game in Week 2.
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