Patrick Mahomes Is Cleared To Practice. Will Chiefs Qb Play Week 1?

Patrick Mahomes has reached an important milestone in his recovery from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to open their training camp.

Andy Reid told reporters on Friday, July 24 that Mahomes is "doing great" and has been cleared to participate in the team's practice sessions ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

"Right now, he's got clearance to practice and do all the different periods we have in this camp," Reid said of Mahomes. "We'll just take it day by day and see how he does. He'll have plenty of eyes on him from coaches to trainers to doctors, but right now, he's been cleared to go ahead and participate fully."

Reid went on to praise how Mahomes had attacked his rehabilitation during the 2026 NFL offseason, noting the team appreciated his efforts to return to the field quickly.

"He's been working so hard you have a pretty good feel that he's in a good place," Reid said.

That has led Reid to believe that this year's training camp won't be too different for Mahomes even as he continues his recovery from the injury.

That has left the 68-year-old coach feeling good about the prospect of Mahomes playing in Week 1, though Reid wouldn't definitively commit to that being the case.

"I'm optimistic, and I know he is extremely optimistic," Reid said of Mahomes playing in Week 1. "But I think you gotta see how things go here. Let's just see where we're at and not make any predictions or anything else. Take it day-by-day and see where it goes."

Patrick Mahomes provides injury update

Mahomes held his own media availability just after Reid and also addressed his injury. The veteran quarterback said he had been cleared to practice "like two days ago" and expressed excitement about his return.

Mahomes particularly emphasized how important it was for him to get on the field for the first day of training camp as he looks to gain confidence playing on his injured knee.

"I didn't wanna have to get only a couple weeks of practice in and then have to go play in a game," the veteran quarterback said. "I wanted to build it up."

Mahomes noted that he is feeling "stronger than I've ever felt" but seemed particularly concerned about getting back into the rhythm of playing quarterback on his injured knee. He was particularly critical of his performance in the games before the injury, opining he wasn't doing a good job of navigating the pocket and getting the ball to his playmakers quickly enough.

"I think this injury helped me kinda focus on those little things as I kinda get back to being who I am," he said.

Mahomes will work on getting back into rhythm over the course of Kansas City's training camp. He declined to provide insight about whether he would play in the preseason, expressing he would wait and see what the team decides as his recovery progreses.

The 30-year-old also confirmed to reporters he would wear a knee brace as he mans the position, though he noted that could change and the team is not mandating he do so.

"I will start with it on just because I feel like still I can move and be myself with it," Mahomes said. "I played with it in college, and then we'll just see where we go from there."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes is cleared to practice. Will Chiefs QB play Week 1?