Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been cleared to fully participate in practice for the start of training camp, head coach Andy Reid told reporters Friday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Mahomes underwent surgery in December to repair a torn ACL and LCL suffered in a Week 15 contest last season. Reid added that the team will monitor his status day by day as camp progresses.
Kansas City posted a video in the spring of Mahomes throwing during its OTA practices. The two-time MVP has said his goal is to be ready for the season opener.
"It's kinda always just been the plan. ... There were certain checkpoints I had to get to get to this point," Mahomes told reporters of being fully cleared ahead of training camp.
"You gotta continue to work and get better and better and go throughout practice and prove to the coaches, prove to the doctors and everybody that I'm the same quarterback I was before, if not better."
Mahomes said he's preparing to play in a preseason game ahead of the Chiefs' Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos, per ESPN's Nate Taylor. He added that he plans to be the same player when he returns and that the knee injury won't limit what he can accomplish on the field.
The 30-year-old is coming off a season in which he went 6-8 in 14 starts while throwing for 3,587 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 2025 campaign marked the first time Kansas City missed the playoffs during Mahomes' tenure as a starting quarterback.
Mahomes was under constant duress last season, as his 24% pressure rate during dropbacks was his highest mark since becoming a full-time starter in 2018. As a result, the star quarterback ranked second among all quarterbacks in scrambles with 53, behind only Drake Maye, according to TruMedia.
Kansas City's run game has also struggled in recent years, but the club made a splash this offseason by signing reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who recorded a career-high 1,309 yards from scrimmage last season.
"I think I ran a little bit too much last season. ... If all else fails, I'll just hand it off to K9 (Walker) and let him go to work," Mahomes added during his press conference, according to A to Z Sports' Charles Goldman.
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, has posted a 95-31 record as a starter, throwing for 35,939 yards and 267 touchdowns.
