Here’s how Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes manages injury rehab during trips to Texas
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mahomes does ~90% of rehab at Chiefs facility; brings a trainer when away.
- Veach gives no timeline but predicts Mahomes will beg to play in preseason.
- Team and medical staff monitor his rehab closely; they hope for no setbacks.
A popular question for folks in the Chiefs organization who are attending the NFL’s annual meetings in Phoenix has been about a timeline for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Coach Andy Reid wouldn’t commit to a date for Mahomes to return following surgery in December on the ACL and LCL in his left knee.
General manager Brett Veach also brushed aside that question while talking to ESPN’s Peter Schrager on “The Schrager Hour” podcast.
“I don’t know if I have a timeline. But as you would expect, Pat in everything he does just attacks at full throttle,” Veach said. “And the cool thing about Pat is he’s really doing 90% of his rehab in the facility. And so he’s in there when we get in at 6 or 7, and grab lunch, and you pop down the training room at 1 or 2, he’s still there.”
Veach said Mahomes’ commitment to his injury rehab has been so resolute that he’s making sure he has everything he needs when leaving Kansas City for a trip to Texas.
For example, Mahomes joined his wife Brittany, the Current co-owner, when she was inducted into the University of Texas at Tyler Hall of Fame last weekend.
In addition to finding a facility to do his rehab work when on the road, Mahomes also ensures he has everyone he needs when away from the Chiefs facility.
“He’s been in that training room every single day,” Veach said. “And then even when he goes to Dallas to get away for a little bit, he takes one of our trainers with him, and it’s not one of those things where I have to check in. I see him every day.
“In fact, we were texting earlier today about just some league stuff, some draft stuff. And he asked when I was getting back, and he wanted to get together and talk and what have you. So he’s always around. And he’s just a gem of a person, man.
“He’s so unique. He’s a unicorn. And it’s like one of those things where you can talk about him ad nauseam, but people still won’t realize the type of person he is, because he cares about people, and he cares about the organization. He cares about his teammates, he cares about doing things the right way, but he’s still humble, and he still has no ego, just like the first day he walked in the building.”
One Mahomes prediction
Veach wouldn’t say when Mahomes would be able to take the field, but the general manager did offer a prediction on when Mahomes would want to play.
“I’m anxious to see, just the first game, because, I’m not a doctor, I’m not speaking for Rick (Burkholder, the Chiefs’ VP of Sports Medicine and Performance) and what have you,” Veach said. “But I know he’ll be ahead of schedule, and I know what’s going to happen in training camp. He’s going to be begging coach to play in that first preseason game. He’s going to be begging coach to play in that second preseason game.
“So it’ll be cool, though, once we get to the regular season, and hopefully no setbacks. Again, I’m not trying to make predictions, what have you, because I’m not a doctor, and it was a big injury, but it’ll be excited to just see him. You know, that first scramble, that first time he takes a hit, see him get up, dust it off and get right back to work.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 9:01 AM.
