Observations from Chiefs Practice: Mahomes’ Return

Key takeaways from Patrick Mahomes’ practice as he recovers from knee surgery, including his adaptability and changes in team strategy.

A bulky brace on his left leg signals the ongoing recovery for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes following his knee surgery last December. Over the weekend, Mahomes participated in two rookie-centered, closed-to-the-public training camp practices before taking a scheduled day off on Monday.

The Chiefs wasted no time involving the 30-year-old quarterback in drills, demonstrating their eagerness to push him. During Sunday’s practice, Mahomes joined a group focusing on rollouts to his left, a maneuver that placed some early stress on his surgically repaired left knee. Given that it has been just seven months since his surgery in Dallas, it was expected that he would still show signs of favoring that leg.

Observing Mahomes during the drills revealed that he is not just managing physical limitations stemming from his recovery; he is also adjusting to the knee brace. “I felt comfortable playing with a knee brace; I’ve used one during part of my college career at Texas Tech,” Mahomes stated on Friday. Still, the new brace posed challenges as he frequently reached to adjust it, often tugging on multiple straps to find a comfortable fit.

This marks the fifth training camp covered by this reporter, and one notable development is Mahomes’ increase in under-center reps. Traditionally, the Chiefs have favored a shotgun approach; however, this training camp might see a shift following the addition of running back Kenneth Walker III and General Manager Brett Veach’s hint that the team would explore a more downhill run game.

In any case, Mahomes has begun pre-stretch snaps under center, and seven-on-seven drills have also been initiated from that setup. With the first full-squad practice approaching on Wednesday, it will be interesting to see if this trend continues as the Chiefs prepare for the upcoming season.