Patrick Mahomes welcomed in 2026 on crutches but surrounded by his family as the Kansas City Chiefs man prepares to spend most of the year on the comeback trail.
The quarterback’s wife Brittany shared a social media picture of Mahomes and their three kids Sterling, Bronze and Golden, waving sparklers together.
Mahomes himself was on crutches with his leg in a brace after undergoing surgery on a torn ACL on December 15.
He sustained the injury a day earlier when the Chiefs lost at Arrowhead Stadium to the Los Angeles Chargers in a result that officially ended the team’s chances of making the playoffs.
Mahomes, 30, is now racing to recover for the start of the 2026 season, with the first weekend scheduled for the first weekend os September. ACL tears usually take around nine months to heal, making it tight for Mahomes to be back for the start of the season.
But in the meantime, he has been supporting his players as they round out a disappointing season on Sunday on the road to Las Vegas Raiders.
Patrick Mahomes celebrated the New Year with his young family as he recovers from surgery
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback tore his ACL in December and quickly had surgery
Mahomes is now in a race against time to be healthy for the start of the 2026 campaign
‘He’s still helping out, leading guys,’ offensive lineman Creed Humphrey said on Wednesday.
‘He’s been awesome to have, even through injury, when he’s not out there in every meeting, in practices, all those things. He’s still in the building being able to talk to guys. It’s been great, so he’s been awesome to have around.’
Mahomes hasn’t spoken publicly about the injury or his recovery, aside from on the day it happened when he posted on X: Don’t know why this had to happen. And not going to lie it’s (sic) hurts. But all we can do now is Trust in God and attack every single day over and over again.
‘Thank you Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever.’
After Sunday’s game at the Raiders ends, the Chiefs will sharpen their focus on rebuilding for 2026.
They will have a high-ranking draft pick due to missing out on the playoffs, the position of which will be confirmed after Sunday’s games are over.
There is also uncertainty over the future of tight end Travis Kelce, too. Many anticipate that he will retire soon after the Raiders game but he has insisted that he will take time after the last game of the season to consider what is best.
While it has overall been a disappointing campaign for the Chiefs, the 36-year-old has impressed on an individual basis. He has 839 yards to his name for the season and five touchdowns.