# Will Andy Reid have Patrick Mahomes ready for Week 1 after his knee injury?

It's looking very promising for Mahomes to be ready for Week 1. Here's the full picture:

**The recovery is ahead of schedule.** Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in December 2025, but by **July 25 he was cleared for training camp practice** — a major milestone. He's been rehabbing 6-7 hours daily in Kansas City and has already progressed through 7-on-7 drills, individual work, and the critical "cutting phase" (change-of-direction drills) (from the [Patrick Mahomes II page](https://chatffb.com/players/patrick-mahomes-ii)).

**Andy Reid is cautious but optimistic.** Reid has refused to make a firm Week 1 commitment, but he's also not ruling it out. The team is being methodical about collision risk — specifically avoiding 11-on-11 drills where a player could accidentally swipe Mahomes' legs. As Reid put it, "there's no putting the genie back in the bottle" once he's fully cleared.

**Mahomes himself is adamant.** He's said multiple times his "goal" is to be ready for **Week 1 vs. the Broncos (Sept 14)** and that he's giving the doctors and coaches every reason to let him play.

**The fallback plan is solid.** The Chiefs traded for **Justin Fields** as insurance, and Andy Reid has called Fields a "legitimate NFL starting quarterback" who could start if needed (from the [Justin Fields page](https://chatffb.com/players/justin-fields)).

**Expert take:** Sal Vetri noted that the reports coming out of OTAs are that Mahomes is "on track to return Week 1 and not be on the PUP list" — and that's only grown more positive since then. [Hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRUhxmpCYXI&t=1242s).

**Bottom line:** All signs point to Mahomes starting Week 1. The cautious tone from Reid is standard Andy Reid — he's never going to guarantee anything in July. But the rehab progress, training camp clearance, and Mahomes' own commitment make it a surprise if he's not under center against Denver.

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Answered 2026-07-31 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/will-andy-reid-have-patrick-mahomes-ready-for-week-1-after-his-knee-in