Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is confident he will recover from his season-ending knee injury and come back stronger in 2026.

The team’s dynasty may depend on that, an analyst predicts.

The two-time league MVP saw his season come crashing to an end in December, when he suffered a torn ACL and LCL as the team was eliminated from the playoffs. It’s not clear yet if he will return in time to start the season, but SI.com’s Fernando Alfaro-Donis identified a bigger, more long-term concern for the Chiefs if Mahomes is not able to return to his previous form.

As Alfaro-Donis noted, the team is turning the page back to the past by bringing Eric Bieniemy back as offensive coordinator. He predicted it could help the team reverse its decline in the offense, which hit Mahomes hard last season.

“While Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense weren’t their biggest problem last season, his production has been declining ever since Bieniemy left,” Alfaro-Donis wrote. “Their passing game wasn’t particularly impressive in 2025, and it oftentimes felt like their offense fell entirely on the shoulders of Mahomes and his playmaking skills outside of structure. It also impacted Mahomes’ play, with him starting to ditch clean pockets early and scramble around to get his receivers some separation.”

But Alfaro-Donis predicted it would be the injury recovery that plays the biggest role in the future, warning that the Chiefs could see their Super Bowl dynasty come to an end if Mahomes isn’t able to return to his previous form.

“Ultimately, the success of the Chiefs falls on whether Mahomes’ injury doesn’t hinder him too much,” he wrote. “They’re making the right moves to bolster their roster and coaching staff, but if he isn’t up to speed, the Chiefs’ dynasty as we know it may be over.”