12/15/25 12:53:00
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12/15 12:52 CST Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to get second opinion on
torn ACL before having surgery
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to get second opinion on torn ACL before
having surgery
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --- Patrick Mahomes will get a second opinion on his torn
left ACL before having surgery, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday, and it
remains unclear whether the two-time MVP quarterback could be available by the
start of next season.
Mahomes tore the knee ligament when he was spun to the ground while trying to
keep Kansas City's postseason hopes alive late in a 16-13 loss to the Chargers
on Sunday. The team announced the severity of the injury in a statement later
that night.
The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in a
decade when three other results didn't go their way Sunday.
Mahomes is scheduled to see Dr. Dan Cooper, a highly regarded orthopedist and
the team physician of the Dallas Cowboys, before the procedure to repair the
ligament. The decision to seek a second opinion is merely to confirm what will
be done.
"I've had a good visit with him, a couple of different times. He's in a good
place," Reid said on a Zoom call Monday. "You know, he always feels like he let
people down, but he comes back and he's ready for the challenge ahead, which is
what is real right now. He's just got to get through surgery, whenever it might
be, and then move on from there."
There are a number of factors that go into how long the recovery time will be,
including the severity of the ACL tear and whether any other damage occurred
within the knee. Most players are able to return to the field in six to 12
months.
"I think he'll attack it, just like he does everything else," Reid said. "There
have been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had the same injury and done
pretty well after they came back. He'll get after it, and he's got good people
here to rehab him."
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow toe the ACL and MCL in his left knee in November
2020 but returned to play the following season, and he was voted the NFL's
Comeback Player of the Year. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones tore his right ACL
in November 2023 when he was with the Giants, and he came back to start Week 1
the following season.
Tom Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the Patriots' 2008 opener. He started all 16
games the next year and was voted NFL MVP.
The 30-year-old Mahomes has dodged such severe injuries for most of his career.
The worst injury may have come in 2019, when Mahomes dislocated his kneecap on
a sneak against the Broncos. His most famous injury may have occurred during
the 2022 playoffs, when he sustained a severe high ankle sprain; questions
swirled around whether Mahomes would be able to play the next week, and he not
only did but eventually led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl title.
The Chiefs do not have another quarterback besides Mahomes signed for next
season, so the last three weeks of this season could be an audition for veteran
backup Gardner Minshew, who finished out the loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
He completed three straight passes before an interception on a throw intended
for Travis Kelce effectively ended the game.
"I've got a ton of confidence in Gardner," Reid said. "I've watched him play
with these other teams. He's started in the league. Our guys have confidence in
him, and Chris Oladokun behind him will work, and he's been with us a while.
Those are two guys we trust."
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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