Practices fully, looks ready for opener

Mahomes (knee) opened Week 1 prep as a full practice participant Thursday.

Per Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com, head coach Andy Reid relayed prior to the Chiefs' first official practice of Week 1 that Mahomes was "geared up and ready to go" for the season opener Monday versus the Broncos. The quarterback backed up his coach's optimism by taking every rep with the first-team offense Thursday, setting the stage for him to play in his first game since his 2025 season came to an end Dec. 14, when he sustained a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. Mahomes made tremendous strides in his rehab from surgery and was cleared for full practices prior to training camp, and though he didn't play in any preseason games, he steered clear of any setbacks with his knee. According to Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com, Mahomes said that he'll continue to wear a protective brace on his knee, and while the Chiefs aren't expected to alter their game plans as a result, the 30-year-old could naturally scale back his involvement as a runner coming off major surgery.