Is Patrick Mahomes playing tomorrow? Chiefs QB Week 1 injury update

Is Patrick Mahomes playing tomorrow? Chiefs QB Week 1 injury update.

Key points

• Yes, Mahomes is due to start in Week 1 for the ninth consecutive season since taking over as Kansas City's starter in 2018.
• The Chiefs' star quarterback did as much as he could to return to the field by Week 1 of 2026.
• Outside of Mahomes, the Chiefs' quarterbacks room has a new look to commence the 2026 season.
• Can Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes return to MVP form in 2026?
• CHIEFS VS BRONCOS: Predictions, picks, odds for NFL Week 1 Monday Night Football.

Is Patrick Mahomes playing tomorrow? Chiefs QB Week 1 injury update. Jack McKessy USA TODAY. Can Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes return to MVP form in 2026?

Can Patrick Mahomes return to MVP form in 2026? The Sports Seriously NFL crew breaks down what it will take for the Chiefs superstar to obtain back to his best. Nine months and three missed games afterwards, Patrick Mahomes is back.

In practice, the Kansas City Chiefs' starting quarterback was a full participant in practice all week leading up to his team's Week 1 clash with the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football." Mahomes had no injury designation on the Chiefs' injury report either, another sign pointing to the two-time MVP's Week 1 debut.

Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers last December. One day afterwards, he was on the operating table to repair the knee ligaments with a mission to return in time for Week 1.

For context, the Chiefs' offense and its quarterback have their work cut out for them in the season opener. Denver boasted one of the best defenses in football last year. The Broncos ranked No. 1 in the NFL in limiting opponents' success rate on dropbacks (38.5%) thanks to a pass-rush attack led by Nik Bonitto and a stellar secondary led by 2024 DPOY Pat Surtain II.

Monday's clash will be the first look at a 2026 Chiefs team looking to bounce back from a 6-11 season that included a missed playoff berth for the first time since 2014. It will additionally be the first game of Mahomes' 10th season in the NFL, and his ninth straight Week 1 start.

CHIEFS VS BRONCOS: Predictions, picks, odds for NFL Week 1 Monday Night Football. Is Patrick Mahomes playing tomorrow?

Yes, Mahomes is due to start in Week 1 for the ninth consecutive season since taking over as Kansas City's starter in 2018. He had no injury designation on the Chiefs' official injury report and was listed as a full participant in practice every day this week.

For context, the Chiefs' star quarterback did as much as he could to return to the field by Week 1 of 2026. A day after tearing his ACL and LCL in a Week 15 game against the Chargers last December, Mahomes underwent surgery. By March, the quarterback was posting videos of himself throwing with a sleeve on his left leg. In May, Mahomes was able to be a limited participant in the Chiefs' OTAs.

In July, Mahomes reiterated to reporters that he wanted to return by Week 1, specifically so he could take on the reigning AFC West-champion Broncos.

"I don't want to miss that game because that's the team that won the division while we were gone and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates, " Mahomes remarked. "I'll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1 and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light and I'm able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league." CHIEFS: AFC West contenders add Patrick Mahomes protection in low-risk trade.

Chiefs QB depth chart.

Gone are last year's backups Gardner Minshew II and Chris Oladokun. In to replace them are Fields, whom the Chiefs traded for in March in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, and Nussmeier, the rookie whom the Chiefs drafted in the seventh round of this year's draft.

Of the three rostered QBs, Nussmeier obtained the most work in the preseason. He finished the exhibition schedule 44 for 70 (62.9%) for 370 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Fields obtained the next-most work, finishing 13 for 16 (81.2%) for 105 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Mahomes did not play in the preseason. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around is Patrick Mahomes playing tomorrow? Chiefs QB Week 1 injury update point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.