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PHOENIX — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid offered another positive update on Patrick Mahomes as enthusiasm continues to grow around the star quarterback’s injury recovery.
Reid acknowledged there is a strong possibility that Mahomes, who is rehabbing from December surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, will be the Chiefs' starter in September when they begin the season.
"Every player is different. I will tell you though, I would never bet against him," Reid said Tuesday at the NFL's annual league meetings. "He's going to put in the time and effort and always push it but within reason, so he doesn't take steps back.
"So far, it's all been positive. He's doing great."
Since his procedure, Mahomes has spent almost every day inside the Chiefs' training facility, often working with Julie Frymyer, the athletic trainer that has helped him recover from previous injuries in his nine-year career.
Reid shared that Mahomes usually spends at least seven hours in the facility to go through treatment and rehab exercises to increase the flexibility and strength in his left knee.
Last week, Mahomes posted a four-second clip on his Instagram account to showcase himself throwing the ball again inside a training gym. The video showed Mahomes executing a five-step dropback at a moderate tempo before throwing the ball, which appeared to be an intermediate pass. The Chiefs are hopeful that Mahomes can participate in a limited capacity when the team holds its voluntary offseason practices, which will start in May.
"Day by Day!" Mahomes wrote his Instagram story. "Felt Great being able to throw the ball around today!"
Reid explained that Mahomes, if he continues to progress ahead of schedule, could even play a few snaps during the Chiefs' preseason games.
"The key is if he's ready," Reid said. "We're not going to force something. If we think he's in a position where he's [physically] sound, yeah, he potentially could [play]. I'm not going to tell you one way or the other. I want to see him progress here and keep going.
"I'm going to defer to the [medical] experts at that. If he's good to go, he'll go. If he's not, we'll manage that."
The Chiefs are expected to play their season opener on Sept. 13 or 14, said team owner Clark Hunt. When discussing Mahomes, Hunt said Monday that he doesn't expect the Chiefs to be the road opponent for the Seattle Seahawks, the defending NFL champions who are scheduled to play the league’s first regular season game Sept. 9.
"I don't think that's on the table anymore, for us to be in Seattle for the opener," Hunt said. "I think from a league standpoint, there would be some concern whether [Mahomes] would be ready to go. My guess is the league won't want to take that risk.
"We've all seen some of the videos of his rehab. By every indication, he's ahead of schedule, and has worked really hard to be ahead of schedule. We will not want to rush him back, even though I know he's going to be eager to play. If it's not going to be safe for him to play, our medical staff is not going to let him out there."
Back in 2009, when Tom Brady was returning from his ACL injury — which occurred in the season opener the previous year — the New England Patriots opened their season at home on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, a game they won.
The league could once again schedule the Chiefs to play in primetime on Sept. 14 to give Mahomes the maximum amount of time for him to be available to play, according to a league source.
"It's not a request we've made," Hunt said. "It sounds like a good idea [for the league], although it's only one day. We're eager to play in primetime anytime that we have the opportunity. That would include Thanksgiving, Christmas and perhaps the opportunity to play in Spain [this year]. Those are things we embrace."
If Mahomes doesn't play Week 1, the Chiefs will turn to Justin Fields, a five-year veteran acquired two weeks ago in a trade with the New York Jets.
"I like his game," Reid said of Fields. "He can do the drop-back game, the movement stuff and play action, whether it's a naked or sprint out game. He understands the screen game and how to set it up. He obviously is going to be one of the better athletes on the field when he's out there. He's fast, big and likes to play the game.
"He's more than a gadget guy. That's not how I'm looking at it. That's not why we brought him in. We brought him in to play quarterback if he's needed."
