ClutchPoints
The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping for a bounce-back year in 2026 after missing out on the playoffs altogether in 2025 for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. Mahomes was recently extended on a record-breaking contract as he works his way back from an ACL injury that cut his season short last year.
Throughout this offseason, the big question for the Chiefs has been whether or not Mahomes will be ready to go in three months when the 2026 campaign rolls around, and recently, the team got some good news on that front.
“The team and Mahomes are both leaning into this Week 1 possibility,” reported Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, per SportsCenter on X, formerly Twitter.
Having Mahomes ready to go for Week 1 would certainly be great news for a Chiefs team that has made some big moves this offseason, headlined by the signing of reigning Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III from the Seattle Seahawks as well as the trade of star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams.
Mahomes was having one of the best statistical seasons of his career last season prior to the injury, but the Chiefs were still more than likely going to miss out on the playoffs either way, due to both a step back on defense, as well as the team’s lack of a running game.
While the presence of Walker should help resolve the latter issue, it remains to be seen how the Chiefs’ defense will bounce back, particularly after parting ways with McDuffie.
Still, if Mahomes is indeed healthy and ready to go for Week 1, the Chiefs figure to once again be on many pundits’ list of Super Bowl threats.
The NFL season is slated to get underway in early September.
The post Chiefs ‘leaning into’ Patrick Mahomes Week 1 return, per insider appeared first on ClutchPoints.
