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'I'm willing to do whatever it takes': Inside the 274 days that rebuilt Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes successfully returned to the gridiron 274 days after sustaining a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during a Week 15 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.

That 16-13 defeat knocked Kansas City out of playoff contention for the first time since 2014, with the injury occurring after the two-minute mark as Mahomes threw the ball away under pressure from Da'Shawn Hand and planted awkwardly on the turf. Within an hour of the setback, Chiefs leadership—including Andy Reid, Brett Veach, Clark Hunt, and Rick Burkholder—joined Mahomes and his wife Brittany to plan the recovery.

Dr. Dan Cooper performed surgery in Dallas the subsequent morning following a rapid turnaround.

The extensive rehabilitation enabled the 30-year-old passer to start Kansas City's 2026 season opener against the Denver Broncos, where he delivered two passing touchdowns alongside a rushing score in a 31-10 triumph. The performance marked a strong rebound from the previous year, in which Mahomes had rushed for 422 yards and five scores prior to his injury, drawing high praise from Veach for sacrificing his summer to guide the organization back to winning ways.