“It just seems a little odd to me that they’re kind of banking on that receiving group — with Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton — to play better than they have in past years,” former Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselback told NFL Network on May 12. “You’re doing that all while Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a major knee injury. Look, who knows, maybe he’ll be back, but when he’s back, will it be the Patrick Mahomes that we remember right away?”
“And if he’s not, you know, are you supporting Justin Fields with enough talent around him to kind of hold things together until Mahomes does get back?”
“When he’s back, will he be the Patrick Mahomes that we remember?”
—@tthasselbeck on Mahomes and the Chiefs ahead of the 2026 season
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— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 12, 2026
Mahomes underwent surgery for his ACL and LCL tears in December, and the ideal rehab process takes between 9 to 12 months. The Chiefs QB can’t afford to delay his return for that long, which is why he’s trying his best to be able to play in Week 1. He was seen practicing throws only 100 days after his surgery, which is proof enough of his dedication to resume things in full swing. He’s making his rounds to and from the facility, all in an attempt to get back. But there are also questions about his support system in the offense.
The Chiefs barely made any major moves this offseason to address the receiving room. The only notable addition they made was adding Cyrus Allen out of Cincinnati late in the fifth round. Apart from Rashee Rice, there is no solid WR who stands out. Behind him, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton are also hoping to get more reps at wide receiver. But this trio did not perform well last season.
Kansas City ranked 16th in passing offense, averaging 214.1 yards per game. They tallied for only 23 passing touchdowns. Rice had the third-best receiving yards total, but it was a meagre 571 yards. Travis Kelce topped among pass catchers with 851 yards. But the Chiefs have also done away with Hollywood Brown, who led the room with 587 yards. And, the Chiefs’ drop rate was at 4.7% in early December, having dropped 13 of 275 catchable passes.
Remove the latter two out of the picture, and you get an offense that looks suspicious, even with Mahomes in play. With a QB this important, the Chiefs should ensure that this young WR group is in lockstep with Mahomes.
However, at the end of the day, the team’s success lies in how much Patrick Mahomes can deliver.
Chiefs optimistic about Patrick Mahomes’ return
The best solution for Mahomes would be to take one day at a time during this very important offseason. But as we know, the QB can’t seem to wait to get cracking at practice. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach gave a very positive update on the QB’s return, and fans might very well get to see Mahomes suiting up for the opener.
“I knew that this bump on the road wouldn’t slow him down at all,” he said last week. “… He’s in our building every single day. Even when he goes away for a few days, say, to Dallas for a weekend with his family, he takes one of our trainers with him. So, needless to say, he’s way ahead of schedule.
Mahomes has given them so much hope that Veach said the challenge is to “protect him from himself.” The plan for him is to roll him out in a limited capacity when training camp begins. Mahomes also seems to be on track to participate in some capacity in the upcoming OTAs.
