Barring a stunning setback, Patrick Mahomes will be on the field Monday night in the season opener versus the Denver Broncos.
"As far as our roster goes, there's a very good chance that Patrick will go ahead and start unless something were to come up here in the next couple days," coach Andy Reid said Tuesday. "Most likely he'll be the guy that's out there."
It's about as strong a statement that Reid needed to make, given the expectation throughout the process has been that Mahomes would be ready Week 1.
The two-time MVP suffered tears to the ACL and LCL in his left knee in mid-December, prematurely ending the only losing season of his nine-year career. Since then, Mahomes has hit every mark on the timeline, including being fully cleared in July for training camp.
"He's shown everything there," Reid said Tuesday. "He hasn't missed a day. You guys have seen him out there, so you know what it looks like him running around and doing his stuff. Other than having a brace on his leg, everything looks normal. He's running around the same way he's always done and throwing the ball like he's always done. I think we'll be fine there."
Frankly, since the NFL announced the schedule with the Chiefs in prime time for the first two weeks of the season, the widespread expectation has been that Mahomes would be under center to open the campaign. Nothing has nudged that assumption off course.
Mahomes will make his return against the reigning AFC West champs to open Monday Night Football. Giddy up.
