The road to recovery is long and winding.
It's a path thatPatrick Mahomescontinues to travel as the NFL offseason rolls along. While theKansas City Chiefsquarterback has his sights set on playing in Week 1, even the best GPS doesn't guarantee arrival time. Sometimes there are detours and delays along the road.
The Chiefs appear to be well aware of that, striking adeal on March 16 with the New York Jets to acquire Justin Fields. He figures to play a backup quarterback role for Kansas City. More importantly, Fields provides the team some insurance in the event that Mahomes isn't ready for opening day.
In the meantime, Fields can play the QB1 role during the offseason, with a chance to start when the games really count.
JUSTIN FIELDS TRADE:Grades for Chiefs, Jets in QB deal
Of course, there is no quarterback competition for Andy Reid's Chiefs, but injuries can be fickle. Here's the latest on Mahomes as he continues to work his way back from injury.
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CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades
OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)
Patrick Mahomes injury update
Mahomes continues to rehab from atorn ACL that he suffered in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season.
The quarterbackunderwent surgery for the injury on Dec. 15, with the expectation that he would be sidelined for 9-12 months. That puts Mahomes' timeline at about September, at the earliest.
Reid gave an update on Mahomes when he met with reporters on Feb. 20.
"He's around here all the time,"Reid said, via ESPN. "He spends a ton of time here, seven hours a day. He's in there cranking away and making progress every day. It's great to see. [Athletic trainer Julie Frymyer] grinds on him and makes sure he stays on task and challenges him. He keeps showing up. That's about half the battle on these things when you have these injuries.
"It's not going to be a pleasant thing. Every day, you've got to fight through it and you've got to attack the challenge of the workout and rehab. He's doing a great job with that."
That echoed the thoughts of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who said he saw Mahomes going through rehab at the team's facility. He spoke about the situation during an appearance on"Good Morning Football" on Jan. 27.
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"I was with Patrick a couple days ago in our training room, watching him go through the work that he's doing to get back on the field with the rehab," Hunt said. "And nobody works harder than Patrick."
The owner added that he wouldn't doubt Mahomes' ability to make it back for Week 1.
"He certainly has a goal to be back for the beginning of the season," Hunt said. "I wouldn't put it past him. He's somebody in the past who has healed very quickly and, again, his work ethic, I think, gives him a huge advantage in getting back and being ready to play in 2026."
Will Patrick Mahomes be ready for Week 1?
Mahomes hopes to be ready forWeek 1 as he told reporters on Jan. 15.
"Obviously, I think the long term, I mean I want to be ready for Week 1," he said. "The doctor said that I could be, but I can't predict what's gonna happen throughout the process. But that's my goal, and so I'll try to prepare myself to be ready to play in that Week 1 and have no restrictions – you know, you want to be out there healthy and giving us the best chance to win."
The quarterback gave an update on his rehab progress a month after the surgery, when he seemed pleased with the results.
"Rehab's going great so far – just hitting all the checkpoints that the doctor wants you to do and getting the strength and the range of mobility back," Mahomes said.
"The doctor kind of gives you like goals to get to. I just try to maximize those – they hold me back, because I always want to go a little bit further."
There have been no reports of any setbacks in the process, which should be a good sign as Mahomes works towards his return. He will have to prove he can handle contact during practices and games before suiting up again.
The Chiefs have a little extra motivation to turn it around this season after a disappointing 2025 that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era.Travis Kelce will return for another season, meaning expectations will remain sky-high in Kansas City.
Now it's just about making sure the quarterback is cleared to join his teammates on the redemption tour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Patrick Mahomes injury update after Chiefs trade for Justin Fields