There is no question about the goal for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he rehabilitates from surgery to repair the ACL and LCL in his left knee: to start the 2026 season alongside
his teammates in Week 1.That doesn’t seem so unrealistic after his participation in OTA practices this week, the first full-team practice sessions of the offseason, but that has been Mahomes’ goal since January, when he expressed it in his first availability to the media since a successful surgery following
the team’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
It’s hard to blame anyone for believing that Mahomes will be good to go for the opener, but it’s likely that many with those beliefs do not think (or know) to credit the ultimate catalyst to his recovery: Chiefs’ Assistant Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist Julie Frymyer.
She has been working directly with Mahomes and Dr. Cooper, who performed the surgery, to ensure the quarterback known for inevitability is back on the field when he is physically ready. That undetermined date is likely much later than the day Mahomes would be mentally and emotionally ready, and that’s why Frymyer is so important to the whole process.
“As a competitor, I want to be out there with my guys,” Mahomes told reporters in a press conference on Thursday following two days of OTA practice. “We’ve kind of set these checkpoints and goals of where I want to be at, and I’ve gotten to those, so now, I just have to continue to do that at the right pace.”
Mahomes explained that his “checkpoints” usually come every week to two weeks, allowing him to focus on short-term objectives, one at a time, that add up to a full recovery. Currently, he is in a phase focused on running and cutting, aiming to prove to Julie and the team’s head trainer, Rick Burkholder, that he can protect himself before the organization approves his full participation in practice; head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Mahomes was held out of team drills this week.
Reid has little expectation for Mahomes’ current timeline; he simply trusts his training staff. He pointed that out during his press conference on Thursday.
“I don’t judge it,” Reid said of the recovery timeline. “People say, ‘Is he ahead of schedule?’ Who made the schedule? Everyone’s different… he and Julie have spent a ton of time working together, she’s tough on him… and he’s willing to come back. Half the battle is trusting the person who’s doing the rehab with you, then showing up the next day. It doesn’t necessarily feel good, but if you keep coming, it works out okay.”
“She gauges that, so she knows when to back him down,” Reid added later. “He’ll stay here and do anything. He misses nothing.”
Like any great leader, Mahomes understands the value of listening to and learning from the people close to him. He likened Frymyer, who has been with the franchise since his second NFL season, to his personal trainer and his wife, signaling how much of an impact she has had on his ability to overcome injuries.
“I’ve known her for so long, and I trust her so much,“ Mahomes said of Frymyer. ”It’s kind of like when I train with Bobby [Stroupe] or even when I’m at home with Britney, they know how to push me whenever I don’t feel like doing the work… There’s days you come in, you’re tired, I mean you’re sore… but she’s going to make sure I finish the entire workout and I’m going to do it the right way.
“You’ve got to have someone that’s going to push you like that,” Mahomes continued. “That’s not scared to push you even when you’re not feeling great. She does that, and she knows when to kind of pull back on some days… so just having the ultimate trust that she’s going to do that, it lets me just go out there and just work and not have to think about am I doing too much? Am I not doing enough?”
“[It’s] definitely a big advantage for me having her in the building.”
Whether she needs to get him going or slow him down, Frymyer seems to be working overtime to monitor Mahomes’ progress. All reports indicate the two-time MVP is rehabbing around the clock, all day — unless Chiefs Vice President of Football Communications Brad Gee asks him to attend a press conference, at least.
“Usually, I’d be rehabbing right now,” Mahomes said with a smile. “Brad’s got me in here.”
