'very Good Chance' Patrick Mahomes Starts Week 1 Vs. Broncos, Says Chiefs Coach Andy Reid

Patrick Mahomes is set to start for the Kansas City Chiefs during their Week 1 game against the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football," head coach Andy Reid said on Tuesday.

Reid did not definitely say Mahomes would be under center, but barring a hiccup, the two-time NFL MVP will be playing nine months after he suffered a torn left ACL and LCL during Week 15.

"As far as our roster goes, there's a very good chance that Patrick will go ahead and start unless something were to come up here in the next couple days," Reid said. "Most likely he'll be the guy that's out there."

Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season

Meanwhile, starting left tackle Josh Simmons may not play due to a back issue. That would open the door for undrafted rookie tackle Kahlil Benson to take his place.

Without its starting quarterback, Kansas City lost its final three games of the regular season. The Chiefs ended last season on a six-game losing streak, and it caused them to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Torn ACLs typically have a recovery timeline of around nine months. Mahomes playing on Sept. 14, after tearing an ACL on Dec. 14, would be exactly nine months.

The question now becomes what Mahomes will look like under center. He is a great passer, creatively escaping pressure and hurting defenses with his legs when needed.

While Mahomes will be under center against the Broncos, we will have to wait and see how mobile he is. There have been preseason videos of him throwing on the run in practice, but this will be his first game action since suffering the injury.

Mahomes is heading into his ninth season. He had missed no more than one game in each of the last four seasons, and the two games he missed were because he rested in Week 18.

Mahomes already has a Hall of Fame résumé with three Super Bowl championships and three Super Bowl MVP awards.

Last season, Mahomes played in 14 games. In that span, the Chiefs went 6-8, taking more losses than in the previous two regular seasons combined.

The quarterback threw for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2025. Mahomes had 64 carries for 422 additional yards and 5 more scores. It was the second-most carries he had in the last four years, and the third-most in a single season of his career.

Justin Fields and rookie Garrett Nussmeier will serve as Mahomes' backups as the season begins.