The Kansas City Chiefs‘ number one injury priority will be to ensure that All-Pro, Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, recovers as completely and quickly as possible from his torn ACL and LCL suffered late last year.

Even the most optimistic projections over a nine-month recovery period could see him miss at least a couple of games early on in the 2026 season.

Whilst there is no major update on Mahomes’ progress as of yet – and nor should there be at this still-early stage in his rehabilitation – the team did get some positive news on their backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew.

Minshew suffered a season-ending injury to his knee against the Tennessee Titans in late December, just one week post the Chiefs losing Mahomes.

At the time, it seemed like veteran quarterback could have suffered a similar injury and may be looking at a comparable recovery time to Mahomes. However, the day after the game, team sources told ESPN that he had avoided an ACL tear.

Chiefs QB Dodged Serious Injury In December

It was not clear what in fact the injury was to Minshew, if his ACL was indeed intact. But on Wednesday Adam Schefter reported that Minshew was suffering from a bone bruise to the knee.

And, the even better news is that – per Schefter – Minshew is already back at full strength, just one month after the injury.

“As it turns out, Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew did not tear his ACL as initially feared, per source.” Schefter posted on X. “It turned out to be a bone bruise that did not require any surgery. Minshew didn’t suffer any long-term damage to the knee and he already is back to full strength as he prepares to head to free agency.”

Will Minshew Return to the Chiefs In 2026?

If Minshew was facing a long period of time on the sidelines, his chances of being re-signed by Kansas City were close to zero, in light of the precarious availability of Mahomes to start in September.

Now, if teams see no reason for caution with regards to his bone bruise, the team may have the opposite issue.

In a draft year that has only one truly viable, franchise quarterback, the value of high-end backups and bridge starters will likely be higher than in years past.

Considering that this will now be the second year in a row – if projections are to be believed – with a poor incoming crop at signal caller, the general supply of young, up-and-coming franchise quarterbacks will be lower, meaning that Minshew could well sneak into a starting lineup somewhere around the league.

His main competition will be the Green Bay Packers‘ Malik Willis and the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ Aaron Rodgers – if he does not remain with the organization for the coming year.

Conversely, there are also fewer teams seemingly looking to change quarterback than in years past.

If Minshew does not get a starting/bridge QB job elsewhere, a return to Kansas City seems more than feasible if they are looking for a pair of steady hands early next season to steer the ship in Mahomes’ absence.