This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke with TV Analyst and former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green.
In his interview with Easton Jr., Green joined the unveiling of the Dr Pepper "Fan Wall of Fame" painting on the side of the Alumni Hall building at his alma mater, Indiana University, curated by Indianapolis artist Nate Baranowski. He commented on quarterback Patrick Mahomes' recovery ahead of the 2026 season.
"Well, first off, I'm fired up. I'm excited about it. (Fan Wall of Fame) Nobody does college football fandom better than Dr Pepper," said Green. "They've been in, so they've been a part of college football for a long time, and the fact that they asked me to come here to Bloomington, Indiana, where I went to school, the defending
undefeated National Champion Indiana Hoosiers."
For all the college football fans in Bloomington, IN…we’re cooking up something with @natebaranowski for this weekend 👀 pic.twitter.com/GBMgTFFE0I
— Dr Pepper (@drpepper) September 2, 2026
Green, a proud alum of the defending National Champions, has kept a close eye on his former NFL team's progress and on its star quarterback's eventual return to game action.
"Well, I always say that a motivated Patrick Mahomes is a dangerous Patrick Mahomes, and I think he has always found ways throughout his career, whether it be in college or the NFL, to try and prove people wrong. And when it says, "Hey, something can't be done," he tends to step up and prove it can be done." said Green, "We could sit here for the next half hour and rattle off all the records that he has before the age of 30, whether it be win total, whether it be yardage, completion percentage, touchdowns, whatever it may be, playoff numbers-I mean, it's phenomenal what he's been able to do in his career."
Mahomes finished last season with 22 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 14 games before suffering his knee injury. He also rushed for 422 yards and five touchdowns.
"I like a motivated Patrick Mahomes. I think he's gonna, I think he's gonna have a good year, and I think he will be starting Week One against Denver on Monday night. I've seen him take every rep at practice," said Green. "He hasn't played in the preseason for good reason. Listening to his interviews and comments, and from the chance to talk to him through the preseason broadcast, I do see every indication that he will be ready for Week 1, and that was his motivation. That was why he got the surgery as quickly as he did when the doctor said, "Listen, you can be ready in nine months. It's like, okay, we're gonna do the surgery this day, and nine months from this day is the opening day. So they've had a plan from the beginning."
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL late during the Chiefs' Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys' team physician, performed the surgery. He repaired Mahomes' left knee last December, a day after the injury.
"I love the work that he's put in. It's not easy. It's not an easy task. I did ACL, MCL, lateral meniscus. He had an ACL and LCL. So it's a little different injury, a little different surgery and recovery," said Green, "But still, nonetheless, I know the amount of work that goes into that. I know nonstop how lonely those days can be and how hard it is mentally when you're not making the type of progress as quickly as you want to make it, or the strength isn't coming back as quickly as you wanted, or the range of motion, or the flexibility, or whatever that may be; it's a grind. So I give him credit for what he's doing, getting back as quickly as he has, and if you watch him the way I've watched him in practice, it looks like the regular Patrick Mahomes. It doesn't look like a guy who's nine months removed from one of the most devastating injuries you can have."
For more information on the Dr Pepper Fan Wall of Fame, visit the official Dr Pepper website and its social media channels.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs legend Trent Green: 'A motivated Patrick Mahomes is dangerous'
