Fowler: Mahomes (knee) eyeing 11-on-11, preseason

Walker has been working hard to improve his receiving skills and pass protection this offseason. As long as he refines this area of his game, he has a chance to operate as the Chiefs’ clear-cut featured running back, though the position group is full of capable receiving backs. What does not seem to be in question is that Walker will handle an immense rushing workload. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said in May that the team hopes to establish the run early on this season. An ESPN report from June revealed that the Chiefs were beginning to tailor the run game around Walker’s strengths. Super Bowl LX’s MVP is a locked-in RB1 with enticing upside.

Mahomes kept the good news under wraps. He was apparently cleared to practice two days ago. A recent report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicated Mahomes was hoping to participate in 11-on-11 drills when veterans report for training camp on July 28th with the goal of ultimately suiting up in the preseason before playing in Week 1. The Chiefs’ superstar quarterback is seemingly on track to do so. As far as his playing style goes, Mahomes said he plans to do “everything” that he did before, while acknowledging that he ran the ball more often that he would prefer to last year.

Mahomes is rehabbing ahead of schedule after a torn ACL/LCL ended his 2025 season. If all goes according to plan, it will be just under a nine-month recovery for him, which is on the quicker end of most ACL/LCL recover anticipated timelines. Rapoport reports Mahomes has been spending “seven hours or so in the building rehabbing as much as humanly possible.” It’s still an awfully optimistic timeline but Mahomes is targeting a Week 1 return and it “certainly does seem like Mahomes is on track to be on the field Week 1", according to Rapoport.

Mahomes is well ahead of the normal ACL/LCL rehab timeline, as Breer notes, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chiefs remained cautious with Mahomes in training camp and didn’t necessarily throw him in 11-on-11 settings the second he was first cleared. Still, it does seem like Mahomes is in pretty good shape to start Week 1 from all early offseason indications. It’ll just be a matter of how quickly the Chiefs and Mahomes want to push it.

Running and cutting make up the next phase in Mahomes’ rehab program. The 30-year-old quarterback “would like to get a dress rehearsal run in preseason action, if he can.” Mahomes has participated in 7-on-7 drills, but has not yet progressed to 11-on-11 drills, nor has he been cleared for contact. These are the benchmarks. He seemingly has decent odds of clearing them in time for Week 1.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mahomes is set to make $504.7 million between now and the 2033 season. Mahomes initially signed his record-setting, 10-year extension in 2020. It was worth $450 million at the time. Quarterback salaries have since skyrocketed, making Mahomes’ contract one of the most team-friendly deals for a high-end quarterback in the NFL. Before the extension, Mahomes was just the 13th-highest-paid quarterback in the league at $45 million per year. He will make $64 million per year, a new high-water mark for the league, starting next year. Schefter also noted that the first four years of the deal are fully guaranteed and contract mechanisms functionally guarantee the rest.

Yes, it’s only seven-on-seven drills, but for a player coming back from a late-season ACL tear who is hoping to be ready in time for Week 1, it’s a step in the right direction. The Chiefs remain optimistic that their QB1 will be ready to go at the start of the season, and Mahomes himself has said he’s hopeful he’ll be a full participant in training camp. With nearly two months to go until training camp begins, Mahomes has plenty of time left to continue his recovery before the real work begins. In the event he isn’t ready for Week 1, Justin Fields will likely start in his absence.

Mahomes acknowledges that it is “unclear” whether he will actually be ready to fully participate once training camp begins. His recovery timeline includes checkpoints that occur every one-to-two weeks. The next step is running, cutting and proving to the training staff “that he can protect himself.” Mahomes’ rehab seems to be going very well. He seemingly has a chance to be ready for Week 1.

ESPN’s Nate Taylor reports Mahomes, recovering from a late-season knee injury, participated “in some form and fashion ... during the Chiefs’ opening OTA practice.” The team released a video of Mahomes throwing a short pass while wearing an enormous brace on his injured left leg. Mahomes, entering his age-31 season, is in a race against the clock to be ready for Week 1 against the Broncos. If Mahomes can’t suit up for the season opener, Justin Fields would likely serve as KC’s starter.

This of course has to do with Rashee Rice failing a drug test and undergoing another knee procedure and missing up to two months. Rice this week violated his probation by testing positive for THC and will serve 30 days in jail. He’s slated to be out of jail by the middle of June. This is just the latest in a long time of off-the-field issues that have kept Rice away from the team. There’s also the matter of Rice’s health, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Tuesday that the KC wideout will be sidelined for upwards of two months after undergoing a clean-up procedure on his right knee. The Chiefs, Breer said, believed Rice can be a top-10 NFL receiver when healthy, but are skeptical as to whether they can trust Rice to stay out of legal trouble and stay healthy. Rice’s legal woes and injury history could force Kansas City to reconsider an offer for Brown, who is widely expected to be dealt by the Eagles after June 1. The Patriots and Jaguars have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Brown. “I don’t believe that happens,” Breer said of Brown landing in Kansas City. “But I think if you’re the Chiefs you have to take a look at all of these things going forward.”