Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is ready to return and expects to be on the field for Week 1 of the regular season — pending the approval of head coach Andy Reid.
Reid isn’t ready to declare Mahomes good to go for the opener next month, a Monday night date with the Denver Broncos.
“I’m literally taking it day by day. There are no predictions here on anything,” Reid said. “But if the doctors and the trainers and everybody that are involved with this give him an OK — and then most of all, if he feels like he can, then we’ll address that when we get there. But other than that, these other guys are playing quarterback and doing a nice job with it.”
Mahomes called his return to face the Broncos’ fearsome pass rush in Week 1 “the goal” at the outset of training camp. He hasn’t played in the preseason, which has followed the plan established by coaches and medical personnel.
He’s not worried about missed reps or live looks until Denver week.
“This has always been the plan,” he said Tuesday. “Be ready for training camp, get all the reps in training camp, prepare your body that way so that when we get to Week 1, you’re ready to play the game and you’ve had the right amount of time off.”
Reid does have time on his side if he’s waiting to be convinced Mahomes is ready. The Chiefs start the season almost exactly nine months from the date he suffered tears to his ACL and LCL. Their Week 1 game is scheduled for Sept. 14 and there are at least 13 more Kansas City practices scheduled before the game kicks off.
Mahomes hasn’t missed reps with the first team or taken a day off, Reid said.
“I’m someone that, if you put something in front of me, I want to go out and get it,” Mahomes said.