Patrick Mahomes was spotted going through non-contact, opening OTA drills in a massive, robocop-style leg brace, and he told Chiefs media that he is working toward being cleared for full participation by time training camp. While Mahomes “races against the clock” for his age-31 season, the cold reality is that he’s recovering from catastrophic knee ligament tears that capped his 2025 campaign at a career-low 3,587 passing yards and a modest 22 passing touchdowns.

Bottom line: It is safe to expect that Mahomes will be back early in the season as he is already trending toward avoiding the PUP list, which is great news for Mahomes fantasy managers. If Mahomes isn’t cleared to suit up for the Week 1 opener, Andy Reid will gladly hand the keys to Justin Fields, a hyper-athletic Konami-code backup who offers fantasy upside.