It’s always good advice, no matter the circumstance in life, to just be yourself.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, cleared to play in Week 1 after recovering from knee surgery this offseason, doesn’t feel there is any other option ahead of his first game back.
Within 48 hours of tearing his ACL and LCL last December, Mahomes was through surgery and starting rehabilitation, locking in the mindset to heal as quickly as possible and as early as possible.
So when the star quarterback drops
back to pass against the Denver Broncos on “Monday Night Football,” it shouldn’t shock anyone if Mahomes plays like himself. He spoke with local media about the subject ahead of practice on Thursday.
“I think it’s going to be hard for me to not just be myself once I step on the field,” Mahomes said at the podium. “If you saw me in training camp, the moment stuff started happening, I just became a competitor.”
Whether it was keeping the ball on an option play or attempting to execute a downfield block during practice, the two-time MVP never gave offseason spectators an indication that he would be unavailable for the season opener.
“I’ll try not to lay any blocks, hopefully — unless it’s needed,” Mahomes said. “But other than that, I’m going to go out there and be myself and play football. We’ve built up all this strength over the offseason for that, so why not maximize it?”
“I’m going to keep myself out of harm’s way like I always will, not try to take big hits and stuff like that, but I’m a competitor,” Mahomes clarified. “I signed up for this, and I’m going to go out there and play football. That’s how I’ve always rolled, no matter what it is, and that’s probably how I’ll be the rest of my career.”
The 30-year-old gunslinger was driving the point home: he didn’t work around the clock all offseason to be a limited version of himself once he could take the field. Mahomes was kept out of all preseason action because, according to head coach Andy Reid, he was not fully cleared.
Now he is.
And when the Arrowhead lights are beaming on the red of his helmet Monday evening, facing the reigning AFC West champions, the injury report will be far from No. 15’s mind when the pocket collapses and no receiver is immediately available. Mahomes’ adrenaline rush to move the chains in a big spot will mask any preconceived worries about his knee.
“That’s what makes me who I am is that I just love competing,” Mahomes reiterated. “Playing quarterback is one thing, but you have to love competing to have success in this league.”
Whether the goal is to get through the day of rehabilitation or get a win over the Broncos, the three-time Super Bowl champion has the same mindset: be himself.
“It was a long process,” Mahomes said. “But we’re here now, and now I get to go out there and be myself.”
