Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes officially cleared to practice in full ahead of training camp in St. Joe after his 2025 knee injury
The Kansas City Chiefs have officially given star QB Patrick Mahomes the green light to participate in practice fully during 2026 NFL training camp. This comes just 7 months removed from suffering his ACL/LCL injury against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been officially cleared for full participation in 2026 NFL training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed the news on Friday as rookies, quarterbacks, and injured players reported to camp. Mahomes suffered an ACL/LCL tear late last season and has been working his way back throughout the offseason. He participated partially in mandatory minicamp, taking part in 7-on-7 team drills but sitting out 11-on-11 work. Reid held Mahomes out of those full-team drills specifically to avoid collision risk on jet sweeps. He wanted to avoid backfield action where players crossing the formation could accidentally swipe Mahomes’ legs.
Now it appears Mahomes will be able to participate in those drills without restriction.
“Pat (Mahomes) is doing great with his, and right now he’s got clearance to practice and do all the different periods that we have in this camp,” Reid said on Friday. “And then we’ll just take it day by day and see how he does. He’ll have plenty eyes on him, from coaches to trainers to doctors, so. But right now he’s been cleared to go ahead and participate fully.”
While it remains unclear whether he will be a full participant during the first padded practice, Reid indicated there will be no restrictions on the three-time Super Bowl champion. He also stated that he will be under the watchful eye of training staff and doctors.
Mahomes’ preseason intentions align with career-long pattern
Throughout his nine-year career, Mahomes has played in at least one preseason game to prepare for the regular season. He has always preferred getting hit early, getting accustomed to contact, and adjusting to game speed before the games count. I’d anticipate that the knee injury has left him feeling no different about taking contact during the preseason.
Full participation in training camp will allow Mahomes to get ready for game-speed situations. He’ll be able to work through the scenarios he will encounter during the preseason. There will be multiple checkpoints throughout camp to ensure he is ready and able to participate in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season against Denver.
The roster implications of clearing Mahomes
The big thing to remember about this decision is the roster consequences that come with it. The Chiefs clearing Mahomes for full participation means they can no longer place him on the Active/PUP list. If he were to suffer any setback during camp, Kansas City’s options would be limited to keeping him on the active 90-man roster or placing him on the injured reserve list.
This is very much taking the genie out of the bottle without a way to put it back in. The Chiefs are betting on their franchise quarterback’s health, and Reid’s confidence in the clearance suggests the medical staff is comfortable with where Mahomes stands physically.
For now, this should give Chiefs fans all the hope in the world that Mahomes will be out there and ready for Week 1, so long as he avoids any setbacks during training camp. Kansas City managed this rehab process carefully, holding Mahomes back at minicamp and building toward this moment. The next step is watching him take those 11-on-11 reps and proving the knee can handle full-speed football.