Patrick Mahomes was back on the practice field for a third consecutive day on Friday as the Kansas City Chiefs continue training camp. It’s an encouraging milestone in his recovery from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season. After being cleared for full participation last week, the three-time Super Bowl MVP has steadily increased his workload without experiencing any setbacks, keeping him firmly on track for the regular-season opener.
The Chiefs have deliberately used the opening week of camp to evaluate how Mahomes’ surgically repaired left knee responds to football movements. Mahomes has been practicing in a knee brace, participating in team drills and testing his mobility outside the pocket as his confidence continues to grow.
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On Friday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano provided the latest update after observing Mahomes throughout the week.
”[Everyone] is very happy with the progress Patrick Mahomes has shown as he’s recovered from the knee injury. He has been out on the practice field this week, testing out that knee, kind of seeing what it can take.”
Graziano also confirmed that Mahomes continues to trend towards playing in Week 1:
“The Chiefs have a lot of faith in Patrick Mahomes that he’ll tell them if something is wrong. He wants to push a little bit just to see what the limits might be on this, how comfortable it feels doing certain things, but everything’s been positive so far and really does point, barring some kind of setback, to a Week 1 return for Patrick Mahomes.”
One of the biggest questions entering camp is how comfortable Mahomes will be improvising while wearing a knee brace. Graziano said that is exactly what the Chiefs are trying to determine over the coming weeks.
“The knee brace is kind of something he’ll have to get used to. He’s out here on the practice field kind of adjusting. That’s what this month will be for, especially as the work starts to ramp up. Really, it’s just about how much Mahomes we’re going to see. Throughout training camp, he’ll be seeing how the leg responds if he rolls out or wants to make those crazy sideline throws. Practice, where they aren’t allowed to hit him, is the place to try that stuff out and see how it feels.”
Kansas City still has 45 days until its regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, giving Mahomes ample time to continue building confidence in his knee before the games begin to count.
