PatrickMahomes

News: 4 hours agoMahomes (knee) won't play in Kansas City's preseason opener against the Rams on Saturday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Spin: Mahomes has been progressing well in his recovery from a torn ACL that was surgically repaired in December. He has been cleared for 11-on-11 drills, but the Chiefs don't have much incentive to rush the star quarterback's return to game action. Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun will suit up at quarterback Saturday. Mahomes continues to target the Sept. 14 regular-season opener against the Broncos as his return date.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Mahomes is a bit of a wild card as he embarks on his 10th season. The two-time NFL MVP followed up a pair of disappointing fantasy seasons (2023-24) with an elite start to 2025 (24.5 points per game during Weeks 1-8) and a disappointing finish that included 15.0 points per game during his final six games and a torn ACL in Week 15. Mahomes' efficiency has dipped the past three seasons, and while he made up ground as a rusher in 2025 (fifth among QBs in rushing yards and TDs despite three missed games), he might not be able to run as often this season as he recovers fully from the knee injury. Mahomes might be ready to play in Week 1, but even if he does, he hasn't been a consistent fantasy QB1 since 2022. He's a risky mid-to-late-round flier in drafts.