NFL news: Chiefs doctor outlines Patrick Mahomes’ ACL recovery plan

Rick Burkholder, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs vp of sports activities medication and efficiency, offered a tough timeline of Patrick Mahomes’ return from a torn ACL on Wednesday.

Mahomes suffered the harm on Sunday in the course of the Chiefs’ loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It was later revealed that Mahomes additionally tore his LCL. Burkholder steered the quarterback faces an extended and unsure restoration.

“Each participant is totally different. Each sport is totally different. Each place is totally different. And with [Mahomes]Historically, he goes after it so arduous, and he is so conscious of what he is doing, that he does it somewhat sooner. The margin on this factor is 9 months. It may very well be a month or two much less, or a month or two extra,” Burkholder informed reporters.

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“You by no means know what is going on on, and everyone seems to be mechanically designed in another way. So that you simply must push by it, after which he has position-specific issues he has to do. So now I am providing you with this. Early within the rehab part, we do quite a bit to get his muscle tissue firing and scale back the swelling, and he is now in a protecting brace so all these surgical procedures heal.”

Burkholder additionally steered that Mahomes’ structured life-style might lead to a sooner restoration than the typical participant.

“As you realize, his mentality as a participant is somewhat totally different than most different gamers. He is so disciplined in what he does, he is right here at 6 within the morning and he is the final one out at evening. He’ll be going to rehab in a minute,” Burkholder added.

“He and I had been speaking about it…pay attention, you may have a season schedule now the place you are getting therapy proper now, filming proper now, training proper now. That is what rehabs ought to be like, and that is the way it’s all the time been with him and it’ll proceed to be that means. Once you put all of the little issues collectively, the participant can come again sooner. They do not heal sooner. They only get again to efficiency sooner.”

Mahomes has a historical past of coming back from harm before anticipated.

PATRICK MAHOMES SUFFERS BRUTAL KNEE INJURY AS CHIEFS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF MATCH

Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) struggles in the course of the first half in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, December 14, 2025 in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (AP Picture/Charlie Riedel)

He performed by a dislocated kneecap in 2019 and missed solely two video games. In that yr’s postseason, he had toe/ankle issues and performed in extreme ache to win Tremendous Bowl LIV. Mahomes then performed by a extreme ankle sprain within the 2022 playoffs to win his second Tremendous Bowl.

Mahomes underwent a surgical process carried out Monday evening in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper to handle each the LCL and ACL. The excellent news for Mahomes is that he suffered no artery harm, no nerve harm, no articular floor harm and no meniscus harm.

Burkholder mentioned the process used superior medical expertise.

“There are new surgical methods out there, and I feel the larger and sooner these guys are, the extra usually you see these kinds of accidents,” Burkholder mentioned.

“So the medical doctors are higher at it, and we definitely all picked a physician who has achieved this surgical procedure previously. And he did some methods based mostly on what was there, that are distinctive to the case. Typically it’s important to use a graft on the lateral collateral ligament. Dr. Cooper did not have to do this as a result of he has superior methods. And the identical means with rehabilitation. We have gotten significantly better at rehabilitation. And the athletes have gotten significantly better at diet and restoration and all of the issues that go along with that.”

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid expressed optimism about Mahomes’ restoration, saying the quarterback will break up time between Kansas Metropolis and Dallas as he rehabs.

“He is a reasonably fast healer that means, and his perspective, that is about 90% of the way you strategy it, how keen are you to push by the ache to get it proper,” Reid mentioned.

“He has an incredible relationship with [assistant athletic trainer] Julia [Frymyer]and I think about this is able to be a very powerful. After which if he had been to go to Dallas to go to or get a change of surroundings, I feel most of it will be achieved with Julie. She’s been taking good care of him when he is had numerous accidents or upkeep points, so I am assuming he’ll be right here more often than not.”

After Mahomes’ harm within the fourth quarter, backup Gardner Minshew was unable to get the offense into area purpose vary, permitting Harrison Butker to try a possible extra time forcing area purpose. With the 16-13 defeat in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargersthe Chiefs had been eradicated from playoff rivalry.

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Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes clutches his knee after being injured in the course of the second half in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. (AP Picture/Reed Hoffmann)

It will likely be the primary time since 2014 that the Chiefs should not within the playoffs, and plenty of take into account it the tip of the “dynasty” that has made three straight Tremendous Bowl appearances, profitable two earlier than falling to the Philadelphia Eagles final yr.

The Chiefs will consider their roster over the subsequent three video games, with Minshew beginning beneath middle the remainder of the way in which. However this season, all eyes will probably be on Mahomes.

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