NFL

'I held my breath': As Kenneth Walker carries Chiefs win, Patrick Mahomes explains where he's fully back — and where he's not

September 15, 2026

Patrick Mahomes made an emphatic comeback nine months after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee against the Chargers, guiding the Kansas City Chiefs to a 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in their Monday night opener. The quarterback threw for 184 yards and two scores, including a short strike to Rashee Rice just ahead of the break.

Mahomes also tested his surgically repaired knee on the ground, shaking off an initial scoring scramble negated by a penalty to execute a 15-yard touchdown run on the very next snap, equaling his career-long regular-season scoring scamper.

&#39;I held my breath&#39;: As Kenneth Walker carries Chiefs win, Patrick Mahomes explains where he&#39;s fully back — and where he&#39;s not

'I held my breath': As Kenneth Walker carries Chiefs win, Patrick Mahomes explains where he's fully back — and where he's not