Patrick Mahomes Ready to Start Chiefs' Opener vs. Broncos
Mahomes says his ACL rehab is fully behind him and he trusts his knee again ahead of Kansas City's Week 1 clash with Denver at Arrowhead.
Patrick Mahomes says he is ready for the Chiefs' opener against Denver on Tuesday, and that the long rehab from his torn ACL is behind him.
Mahomes tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in mid-December and has worked through the off-season to be fit for Week 1. He told reporters:
"The goal was always to be back for Week 1. It was a long off-season, I had to work a lot, and I had a lot of great people around me — coaches, my wife Brittany, my family. And now I get to do the sport I love again. I'm really excited for the opportunity to play at Arrowhead against a great opponent and be myself again."
Mahomes said he only fully trusted the knee after a couple of moments in practice — once when he ran with the ball on fourth down, another time when he took a hit from behind without thinking about the joint. He added:
"I've built my strength back up and gone through all those days of rehab to be myself again. Of course I'll try to avoid unnecessary hits, like I always have. But I love competing. I chose this profession myself, and I'm going to go out there and play football. I think that's who I've always been, and who I'll stay until the end of my career."
Kansas City hosts Denver, the defending AFC West champions, on Tuesday at 03:15 Moscow time. The Broncos led the NFL with 68 sacks last season, Head coach Andy Reid had already said this week he expects Mahomes to start, and Mahomes's own recovery timeline has run ahead of the doctors' original projections.
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