Patrick Mahomes is expected to start the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener against the Denver Broncos, but get this, it’s not his physical fitness that has NFL analyst Geoff Schwartz worried. Nope, the real challenge for Mahomes is whether he can fully trust that left knee again. This isn’t just about getting back on the field, it’s about the mental game after a brutal injury.
The Real Battle: Confidence Over Comeback
Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in his left knee during the Chiefs’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last December. That brutal hit absolutely tanked Kansas City’s playoff hopes right there. He went under the knife right after and has been grinding all offseason, aiming for that Week 1 return. As a precaution, the Chiefs kept him out of their first two preseason games. But the good news, he’s back to full football activities, hasn’t missed a training camp practice, and is ready to roll. Still, Schwartz, dropping truth bombs on *First Things First*, said the biggest concern is confidence. “Just trust and confidence, right?” Schwartz said. “When you’re coming back from injury, that’s the toughest part as a player is trusting your body to do the same things you did previously.” You know that feeling, right? When you’ve been hurt and you’re just not quite sure if you can go full throttle again.
The “Flashback” Factor When Defenders Close In
Schwartz really hit the nail on the head when he explained how much tougher this gets once the real hits start coming. Imagine being Mahomes, dropping back, and suddenly you’ve got defenders swarming your legs in a live game. “You have to make that first throw when someone’s around his legs, how does he do that with confidence, right? How do you not have a flashback to the bad things that happen?” That’s a gut punch of a question. The guy’s been cleared, he’s healthy, but the mental hurdle is huge. Mahomes, to his credit, is staying confident. He believes he’s perfectly on schedule, following the doctors’ nine-month timeline for a Week 1 return. “It’s nine months. It’s the amount of time [doctors] said from the beginning, that if I did everything the right way, I would be ready to play Week 1,” Mahomes stated.
Chiefs Make Moves to Protect Their MVP, And What That Means For Us
The Chiefs aren’t just crossing their fingers and hoping Mahomes magically gets his confidence back. They’ve made some smart moves to lighten the load on their star quarterback. Schwartz highlighted the arrival of running back Kenneth Walker and Kansas City’s increased use of under-center formations and play-action. This is a clear signal the team wants to establish a much stronger running game. And hey, for us in the Emerald City, that name Kenneth Walker probably rings a bell, right? Our 12s are already sending clear messages over this update, according to some reports. If Kansas City’s revamped run game and offensive line can hold up, keeping Mahomes protected, he’ll have a much better shot at rebuilding that vital confidence when the big hits inevitably come.
So, it all comes down to Week 1 against the Broncos. Mahomes is confident, the team has a new strategy, but the real test is how he reacts when the pocket collapses. Can he shake off that “flashback” and truly trust his knee? We’ll all be watching to see if the Chiefs’ revamped offense gives him the protection he needs to regain that mental edge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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