Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will miss the entirety of the NFL preseason for the first time in his career, remaining sidelined from game action as he completes his recovery from a severe knee injury ahead of the regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos.
Preseason Finale Absence Confirmed
According to reports from the Associated Press, Mahomes will not play in Kansas City’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night. While the two-time MVP has participated fully in training camp and the team’s offseason program, head coach Andy Reid and the athletic training staff elected to hold him out of all three preseason games as he works his way back from a torn ACL and LCL sustained eight and a half months ago in December.
The decision marks a departure from normal routine for the star signal-caller, who has never previously missed an entire slate of exhibition games when a full preseason was scheduled. The lone exception came during the 2020 campaign, when the league canceled the preseason entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Replicating Game-Week Rigors in Practice
To prepare for the regular-season kickoff without the benefit of live game snaps, Mahomes has leaned heavily on simulated game weeks during training practice sessions at the team’s Kansas City facility. Reporting from The Kansas City Star noted that Mahomes ran the scout team during Monday’s workout, a clear signal that he would watch Friday’s contest from the sideline.
“It’s just preparing just like a game week every single week,” Mahomes said on Tuesday, as detailed by The Kansas City Star. “This week, we’ve treated this more like a game week. And so being able to go in that same process, having a ‘Wednesday’ (style) practice (on Monday) and then a ‘Thursday’ practice (Tuesday), and take my notes the same, watch the same film that I’ll usually watch — I think that’s kind of how I prepare.”
Mahomes added that he has not missed a single practice rep since camp opened in late July. His rehabilitation regimen has included extensive preparation before and after daily workouts.
Targeting the Week 1 Monday Night Showdown
The Chiefs are scheduled to open their regular season in a Monday night matchup against the Denver Broncos on September 14. Mahomes expressed confidence in his readiness for that contest, pointing to the rehabilitation timeline established by his medical team.
“It’s the amount of time they’ve said from the beginning, that if I did everything the right way, I would be ready to play Week 1,” Mahomes stated, according to the Associated Press coverage. Prior to the start of training camp, Mahomes traveled to Dallas to undergo a final evaluation with his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dan Cooper, who cleared him to participate in training camp in yellow non-contact jerseys.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid noted that the athletic training staff continues to evaluate the quarterback’s progress on a daily basis, monitoring his workload as the team transitions from training camp preparations to game week installation.
Roster Adjustments and Preseason Finale Outlook
With Mahomes and backup quarterback Justin Fields both expected to sit out Friday’s matchup against Seattle, the Chiefs will lean on depth under center. Fourth-string quarterback Chris Oladokun remains in the concussion protocol, leaving seventh-round draft pick Garrett Nussmeier in line for extensive action after positive performances in the opening two preseason contests.
In addition to quarterback management, Kansas City added offensive line depth ahead of the finale, trading a 2028 seventh-round draft choice to the New York Giants for offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu. The Chiefs enter Friday’s game looking to break an eight-game preseason losing streak before turning their complete attention to the arrival of the Broncos.
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