PatrickMahomes

News: 19 hours agoChiefs head coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that Mahomes (knee) has a "pretty good chance" to start next Monday's season opener versus the Broncos, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Spin: Mahomes didn't play in any of the Chiefs' preseason games, but he was cleared for 11-on-11 work early in camp and steered clear of any setbacks in his recovery from Dec. 15 surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. The Chiefs will release their first injury report of 2026 on Thursday, and assuming Mahomes is listed as a full participant, it would confirm that he's on track to start against Denver. Mahomes will likely be playing without one of his top protectors, however, as Reid said that starting left tackle Josh Simmons (back) has a "good chance" of sitting out Week 1, per Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Mahomes is a bit of a wild card as he embarks on his 10th season. The two-time NFL MVP followed up a pair of disappointing fantasy seasons (2023-24) with an elite start to 2025 (24.5 points per game during Weeks 1-8) and a disappointing finish that included 15.0 points per game during his final six games and a torn ACL in Week 15. Mahomes' efficiency has dipped the past three seasons, and while he made up ground as a rusher in 2025 (fifth among QBs in rushing yards and TDs despite three missed games), he might not be able to run as often this season as he recovers fully from the knee injury. Mahomes will be ready to play in Week 1, but he hasn't been a consistent fantasy QB1 since 2022. He's a risky mid-round flier in drafts.