Less than five and a half months after suffering a torn ACL, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was back on the practice field.
The Chiefs posted video of Mahomes taking part in the team’s OTA session on Tuesday. He was wearing a large brace on his left leg.
Mahomes reposted the video with a clock emoji. And, to no surprise, he’s currently beating the clock in his effort to return by Week 1.
No one should doubt him. Beyond the fact that he’s a professional athlete with an extreme skillset, Mahomes is determined. He’s highly motivated. He won’t reside in his fears. He will be ready to go when Week 1 rolls around.
It all gets started on the first Monday night of the season, with a visit from the Broncos. Even though both teams will be very different by Week 18, the outcome of that game could be the thing that breaks the tie for the AFC West title — and possibly for the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Free agent defensive lineman Janarius Robinson visited with another team as he continues to look for a place to play in 2026.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Robinson worked out for the Browns on Monday. Robinson worked out for the Patriots earlier this month as well.
Robinson spent last season with the Chiefs and had a sack in the preseason before landing on injured reserve with a foot injury that cost him the entire season.
Robinson had had 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 games for the Raiders in 2023 and 2024. He has also spent time with the Vikings and Eagles.
Last year, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice agreed to accept a six-game suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy after pleading guilty to multiple charges arising from a street-racing incident in March 2024. Now that Rice has landed behind bars for 30 days after violating the terms of his probation, the question becomes whether the league will take further action against him.
It becomes a legal question. And the answer could come from multiple relevant documents.
First, the Personal Conduct Policy possibly applies to Rice’s probation violation. The list of prohibited conduct contained in the Personal Conduct Policy includes "[i]llegal possession, use, or distribution of alcohol or drugs.”
The question becomes whether a probation violation arising from a positive THC test amounts to the “illegal use of drugs.” One on hand, Rice didn’t commit a fresh violation of the law. He did something he was told not to do during his five years of probation. (It’s very common for probation arrangements to mandate avoidance of alcohol or drugs.) On the other hand, his use of marijuana triggered an incarceration.
The Personal Conduct Policy also includes a broad catch-all provision prohibiting “conduct that undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL personnel.” It would be a reach, in our view, to dub a basic probation violation based on a positive THC test as conduct that undermines the integrity of the NFL.
That doesn’t stop the league from trying to discipline Rice under the Personal Conduct Policy. Judge Sue L. Robinson has final say only as to the fact-finding portion of the process, and the facts of this one are undisputed. The league would have the right to appeal the final decision of Judge Robinson to the Commissioner, which gives the Commissioner ultimate control over the interpretation and application of the Personal Conduct Policy in cases of probation violations.
Second, the agreement between the NFL and Rice that resulted in Rice accepting his initial six-game suspension possibly includes language regarding the potential consequences of a probation violation. Without seeing the agreement, there’s no way of knowing whether it does or doesn’t. (If Rice’s agreement lacks such language, the Rice case could result in the league adding a term to similar agreements in the future.)
Third, the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy has a provision that applies to violations of the law regarding “substances of abuse” (which includes marijuana). It allows the Commissioner to suspend the player for up to four games. But it does not mention a violation of law arising from a probation violation; the list consists only of a violation resulting in a conviction, an admission, “a diversionary program, deferred adjudication, disposition of supervision, or similar arrangement including but not limited to nolo contendere.”
The league could try to argue that a probation violation based on marijuana use falls into one of those categories. Unlike appeals under the Personal Conduct Policy, appeals under the Substance Abuse Policy are resolved by an arbitrator jointly hired and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
The threshold question is whether the league wants to take action against Rice. If it decides to do so, there are multiple potential avenues for doing so.
Maybe the NFL will decide that 30 days in jail is enough. Rice will miss the most important part of the offseason program. He’ll miss the mandatory minicamp, and likely be fined upwards of $100,000. He won’t be able to rehab his recent knee surgery. Or maybe the league will decide that Rice caught a break with his original suspension, given the behavior that caused it.
Regardless, the league has the same kind of broad discretion that a prosecutor does when it comes to deciding whether to charge or not to charge someone with a crime. If the NFL wants to target Rice, it can try. And, if the effort lands under the Personal Conduct Policy, the Commissioner will have the final say as to whether the suggested discipline will stick.
For now, the league is saying nothing. In time, it will become clear whether the league does, or doesn’t, plan to sideline Rice to start the 2026 season.
June 1 is eight days away. An A.J. Brown trade is as little as nine days away.
As of June 2, the Eagles can trade Brown and spread the dead-money charge over two years. Most believe it’s just a matter of time before the trade happens. Most believe Brown will be traded to the Patriots.
Watch the video attached to this post. Patriots safety Kevin Byard and receiver Romeo Doubs recently spoke openly about the arrival of Brown as if it’s a done deal.
It’s entirely possible that the deal is unofficially done. Trade terms agreed to, and both teams keeping their mouths shut until Brown passes a physical and both teams communicate the terms of the transaction to the league office.
The Maxx Crosby fiasco from March was a lesson to all teams about not letting the cart get in front of the horse. Say nothing until the deal is official.
Could another team swoop in with a better offer? If the Patriots and Eagles have unofficially worked out a deal, and if both sides honor a transaction that remains unofficial until it becomes official, it’s too late for that.
Some are still suggesting the Rams could make a run at Brown. That ship sailed in March, when the Rams decided not to proceed based on the available medical information — and when the Rams allowed $24 million in 2026 compensation for receiver Davante Adams to become fully guaranteed.
If the Rams had done the deal, they would have traded Adams. It’s not impossible for someone else to enter the A.J. fray, especially if the Chiefs are suddenly having misgivings about whether Rashee Rice can be trusted after his recent probation violation.
For now, all signs are still pointing to Brown becoming a Patriot as soon as June 2.
One more member of the Chiefs’ 2026 draft class has put pen to paper.
According to the league’s daily transaction wire, second-round pick R Mason Thomas signed his rookie contract on Thursday.
Thomas, who was selected at No. 40 overall in April, played his college ball at Oklahoma. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2025, having registered 6.5 sacks with 9.5 tackles for loss in 10 games.
In all, Thomas registered 25.5 tackles for loss with 17.0 sacks in his college career.
Recently, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce called Thomas a “freak of nature,” adding he can’t wait to see how Thomas gets after quarterbacks as a pro.
