Mahomes knee scare could derail the chiefs season in an instant
In the final moments of a December game in Kansas City, the spotlight shifted abruptly from the score to the turf. Patrick Mahomes went down clutching his knee, a moment that immediately raised concern across the NFL and set the stage for a long and uncertain recovery.
According to PEOPLE, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was injured late in the Dec. 14 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. An MRI later confirmed that the 30 year old had torn his ACL, and multiple outlets reported he also required surgical repair of a torn LCL. Mahomes underwent surgery the following day.
The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, and the LCL, or lateral collateral ligament, both play key roles in stabilizing the knee, particularly during rapid changes in direction common to football.
How the injury unfolded
In an interview with PEOPLE, Dr. Yair Kissin, vice chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, said review of the play suggests the injury was likely non contact. Mahomes was brought down by Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand but appeared to injure his knee while attempting to avoid the tackle.
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“There was another player nearby but nobody contacted that knee,” Kissin told PEOPLE. “So it's probably classified as non contact, which most ACL tears are, where his foot plants and the rest of him keeps going.”
According to Kissin, the outward movement of Mahomes knee during the play also helps explain the second ligament injury.
“If you see how his knee kind of bows out, where it goes outward, then that would put stress on the LCL as well,” he said, adding that the combination of injuries “makes 100 percent sense.”
Why surgery happened so fast
Kissin, who did not treat Mahomes, said most patients typically wait one to two weeks before ACL surgery to allow swelling to decrease. Operating too soon can feel like a second trauma to the knee and complicate recovery.
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However, according to PEOPLE, Kissin explained that elite athletes often operate on a different timeline.
“They have a multimillion dollar contract, they have to get well as soon as possible,” he said. “So it's definitely not considered malpractice or wrong to do early surgery.”
Early intervention can limit the initial inflammatory response, which is why rapid surgery is common in professional sports settings.
Recovery and the reality check
Standard recovery from an ACL tear typically ranges from nine to 12 months. According to Kissin, patients usually spend four to six weeks on crutches, followed by months focused on regaining range of motion and strength before transitioning to sport specific training.
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The additional LCL injury could extend that timeline. Kissin said weight bearing places added stress on the LCL repair, meaning Mahomes may need to rely on crutches longer than usual.
Despite access to top tier medical resources, Kissin cautioned against assuming a faster than normal recovery.
“Nobody's super human,” he told PEOPLE. “Yeah, we think that way when we see them on TV, but just because a person is healthy and athletic doesn't necessarily mean they heal faster.”
Sources: PEOPLE
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