Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to get second opinion on torn ACL before having surgery

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is injured after being tackled by Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand (91) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes will get a second opinion on his torn left ACL before having surgery, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday, and it remains unclear whether the two-time MVP quarterback could be available by the start of next season.

Mahomes tore the knee ligament when he was spun to the ground while trying to keep Kansas City’s postseason hopes alive late in a 16-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. The team announced the severity of the injury in a statement later that night.

The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in a decade when three other results didn’t go their way Sunday.

Mahomes is scheduled to see Dr. Dan Cooper, a highly regarded orthopedist and the team physician of the Dallas Cowboys, before the procedure to repair the ligament. The decision to seek a second opinion is merely to confirm what will be done.

“I’ve had a good visit with him, a couple of different times. He’s in a good place,” Reid said on a Zoom call Monday. “You know, he always feels like he let people down, but he comes back and he’s ready for the challenge ahead, which is what is real right now. He’s just got to get through surgery, whenever it might be, and then move on from there.”

There are a number of factors that go into how long the recovery time will be, including the severity of the ACL tear and whether any other damage occurred within the knee. Most players are able to return to the field in six to 12 months.

“I think he’ll attack it, just like he does everything else,” Reid said. “There have been some pretty good quarterbacks that have had the same injury and done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he’s got good people here to rehab him.”

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow toe the ACL and MCL in his left knee in November 2020 but returned to play the following season, and he was voted the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones tore his right ACL in November 2023 when he was with the Giants, and he came back to start Week 1 the following season.

Tom Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the Patriots’ 2008 opener. He started all 16 games the next year and was voted NFL MVP.

The 30-year-old Mahomes has dodged such severe injuries for most of his career.

The worst injury may have come in 2019, when Mahomes dislocated his kneecap on a sneak against the Broncos. His most famous injury may have occurred during the 2022 playoffs, when he sustained a severe high ankle sprain; questions swirled around whether Mahomes would be able to play the next week, and he not only did but eventually led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs do not have another quarterback besides Mahomes signed for next season, so the last three weeks of this season could be an audition for veteran backup Gardner Minshew, who finished out the loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

He completed three straight passes before an interception on a throw intended for Travis Kelce effectively ended the game.

“I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gardner,” Reid said. “I’ve watched him play with these other teams. He’s started in the league. Our guys have confidence in him, and Chris Oladokun behind him will work, and he’s been with us a while. Those are two guys we trust.”

The Associated Press