On Dec. 14, 2025, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL and torn LCL. Later that same afternoon, Green Bay Packers star pass-rusher Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
During a Thursday appearance on the “Get Up” program, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter suggested that Mahomes and Parsons are in different places regarding their ongoing recoveries.
“Realistic chance” Patrick Mahomes returns to action when?
According to Schefter, there is a “realistic chance” that Mahomes will be in the lineup when the Chiefs open the 2026 regular season with a “Monday Night Football” home game versus the rival Denver Broncos on Sept. 14.
Schefter’s update is hardly shocking, as Chiefs general manager Brett Veach recently said that Mahomes was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery. A subsequent report noted that “members of the (Chiefs’) coaching staff are telling some of their friends around the league that they are hopeful that Mahomes will be fully cleared early in training camp and on track to play a full season.”
It’s no secret that Mahomes has targeted Week 1 of the upcoming campaign as the date for his return ever since he went down with the initial injury. While it remains to be seen how his body will respond to his rehab, it seems like people within the NFL expect him to start on Sept. 14.
Will Micah Parsons follow in Patrick Mahomes’ footsteps?
Schefter also hinted that the Packers are preparing to be without Parsons for more than just Week 1 of the 2026 season.
“The feeling within the organization has been that Parsons would miss the early part of the season,” Schefter explained. “…He’ll be a candidate to be placed on the physically unable to perform list.”
Last summer, the Packers signed
Parsons to a four-year, $188M contract that included $136M guaranteed as part of acquiring him from the Dallas Cowboys for two first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Parsons led Green Bay for the 2025 regular season with 12.5 sacks that he recorded across 14 games. Understandably, the Packers will likely wait as long as possible before they make a final PUP decision regarding Parsons.
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