Patrick Mahomes entered the 2025 NFL season with championship expectations once again attached to his name. Instead, the year ended far earlier than anyone in Kansas City anticipated.
In Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs quarterback suffered a devastating knee injury that abruptly shut down his campaign and reshaped the franchise’s immediate future. The focus has now shifted entirely toward one objective: having Mahomes ready when the 2026 season begins.
The injury was severe. Mahomes tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee, damage that required surgery on December 15. Before going down, the two-time All-Pro had completed 315 of 502 passes for 3,587 yards, throwing 22 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. While the numbers reflected a productive season, they quickly became secondary to the long rehabilitation process ahead.
Kansas City head coach Andy Reid recently offered insight into how Mahomes is progressing just weeks after surgery, emphasizing both physical improvement and mental commitment.
“First of all, he’s doing great for just being three weeks out or so,” Reid shared through NBC Sports Pro Football Talk.
“He’ll go ahead and most likely stay up here for the majority of the time rehabbing. He and Julie (Frymyer), she’s the person who does all that RPT (rehab physical therapy), and so he has a lot of trust in her, and he’s been just in there grinding.”
“I think they’ll just continue till we get started again. Not that he won’t take a break here or there, but right now, he’s in that early process where you’ve got to really hit it hard. And, you know, it’s not necessarily a fun thing to do every day. The important thing is that you show up, and that you keep coming, coming back for more, and he’s been doing that.”
A Different Offseason for Mahomes and His Family
Those comments point to a significant shift in Mahomes‘ offseason routine. Rather than heading home to Texas, the Chiefs quarterback is expected to spend much of the coming months inside the team’s Kansas City facilities, working closely with athletic trainer Julie Frymyer. For a player known for balancing elite preparation with family time, the decision carries personal weight.
Mahomes owns a $3.37 million home in Westlake, Texas, where he typically spends the offseason with his wife Brittany Mahomes and their three children. That Texas base has also doubled as a gathering spot for teammates. Over the years, Mahomes has hosted informal throwing sessions there, combining football work with relationship building away from the pressures of the team facility.
“What I find most enjoyable is just building those relationships with guys,” Mahomes explained during a 2024 interview with ESPN.
“Every single team is different … Getting them down here and seeing them outside the building, trying to do different things, trying to get dinner, whatever it is, you get to meet the guy and I think that’s what brings the team closer together. That’s something that I enjoy especially about this part of the year.”
This offseason may not allow for those traditions. Between the intensity of knee rehabilitation and the importance of being closely monitored by the Chiefs‘ medical staff, Mahomes‘ priorities are clear. The road back will be demanding, repetitive, and largely confined to Kansas City.
Still, optimism surrounds the process. Reid‘s confidence, combined with Mahomes‘ reputation for discipline and competitiveness, gives the Chiefs belief that their quarterback will return on schedule. While the injury changed everything about this offseason, it has also clarified the mission. September 2026 now stands as the target, with every rehab session bringing Kansas City one step closer to having its franchise leader back under center.
