Patrick Mahomes finds himself learning fresh lessons as he heads into an age 31 season. Coming off the oft-dreaded late-season ACL tear in 2025, Mahomes is under pressure to be ready for Week 1. Not only that, but opponents will push him into testing what will be his recently-healed knee. In the moment, Mahomes will be forced to choose between risking his health or not.
In a Monday Pro Football Talk post, NFL analyst Mike Florio expressed his opinion that Mahomes would not take it easy on the gridiron, even if it is in his best interest in the long term.
“Limitations don’t matter,” Florio said. “Restrictions don’t matter. Nothing is going to stop Patrick Mahomes from playing. The moment he thinks he’s good to go, he will do everything in his power to get on the field and play the game the way he always has. He does not reside in his fears. He will embrace the risk of a potential injury.
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“He is not going to sacrifice a season of football worrying about an injury that would sacrifice a season of football. So when he’s back in uniform and you see him on the field, don’t worry about Patrick Mahomes because he won’t be. He’ll go out there and do everything that we’ve always seen him do the moment he’s ready to go.”
Mahomes finished his 2025 campaign with a 6-8 record, the worst winning percentage of his career. Following the downturn and in wake of the injury, the Chiefs picked up some new quarterbacks in case they are needed to start the season.
Chiefs add multiple quarterbacks amid Patrick Mahomes’ injury situation
While the Chiefs decided to keep Chris Oladokun on the roster for the moment heading into 2026, the team’s moves suggest that the franchise has chosen to avoid putting everything on Mahomes’ recovery going perfectly. The Chiefs welcomed Justin Fields, a quarterback with a record of starting games (15 starts since the start of 2024) to back Mahomes.
Fields has thrown 12 touchdowns and two interceptions since he left the Chicago Bears after the 2023 season.
The Chiefs also spent a draft pick on a quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft in the form of Garrett Nussmeier, who was taken in the seventh round at pick No. 249. Nussmeier threw for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. Put simply, the Chiefs have taken steps in case Mahomes is not ready or in case (as Mike Florio alluded to) he puts himself in one too many dangerous situations too soon.
Edited by Ian Van Roy
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