Patrick Mahomes’ Long Road to Recovery
In a sobering update, Kansas City Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder provided insights into star quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ recovery timeline following his ACL and LCL tears suffered during the team’s recent loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The injury not only ended Mahomes’ season but also marked the conclusion of the Chiefs’ playoff hopes for the first time since 2014, effectively pausing what many had considered a budding dynasty after three consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
“Ballpark on this thing is nine months. It could be a month or two less or a month or two more,” Burkholder explained to reporters, highlighting the unpredictable nature of such serious injuries. The medical team is currently focused on reducing swelling and helping Mahomes’ muscles begin functioning again while he wears a protective brace to allow the surgical repairs to heal properly. Despite the severity of the injury, there is some optimism in the medical report – Mahomes suffered no artery damage, no nerve damage, no joint surface damage, and no meniscal damage, which could potentially facilitate a smoother recovery process.
What might set Mahomes apart from other athletes facing similar injuries is his exceptional discipline and regimented approach to rehabilitation. “As you guys know, as a player, his mindset is a little different than most. He’s so regimented in what he does, he’s in here at six a.m., he’s the last guy out at night. He’ll take the rehab like that,” Burkholder noted. This disciplined mindset could potentially accelerate his return to performance, even if the actual healing timeline remains relatively fixed. Mahomes will split his rehabilitation time between Kansas City, working primarily with Assistant Athletic Trainer Julie Frymyer, and occasionally in Dallas, where Dr. Dan Cooper performed the surgery using advanced techniques that didn’t require additional grafting for the lateral collateral ligament.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid expressed confidence in Mahomes’ recovery potential, noting, “He’s a pretty fast healer that way and his attitude, that’s about 90% of how you go about it – how willing are you to push through the pain of getting it right.” This optimism isn’t unfounded; Mahomes has established a reputation for returning from injuries ahead of schedule. In 2019, he missed only two games after dislocating his kneecap, and he has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to play through significant pain, including a severe ankle sprain during the 2022 playoffs that ultimately led to his second Super Bowl victory.
The timing of this injury creates a particularly bitter end to what had already been a challenging season for Kansas City. With Mahomes sidelined, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew was unable to lead the team to a comeback against the Chargers, resulting in a 16-13 loss that mathematically eliminated the Chiefs from playoff contention. This marks the first time since 2014 that Kansas City won’t participate in the postseason, a striking conclusion to a team that had been making history with three straight Super Bowl appearances and two championships during that span.
As the Chiefs turn to Minshew to lead the offense through their remaining three games, the organization will be evaluating their roster while simultaneously keeping close watch on their franchise quarterback’s rehabilitation progress. The advanced surgical techniques employed by Dr. Cooper, combined with modern rehabilitation methods and Mahomes’ legendary work ethic, provide reason for cautious optimism about his eventual return to form. However, the journey ahead remains long and uncertain, with the Chiefs and their fans forced to wait until the 2023 season to see if their superstar quarterback can once again defy medical expectations and return to his championship-caliber performance level.
