KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered a strike to wide receiver Xavier Worthy for a touchdown in a seven-on-seven drill Thursday afternoon, then quickly let everyone know about it.“Come on, baby!” Mahomes screamed twice, skipping toward the sideline while celebrating the moment with his offensive teammates.Yes, Mahomes looked mostly like himself during Thursday’s organized team activities practice — the first one this week open to reporters.The activity certainly should be considered a milestone. Roughly five months after undergoing knee surgery for a torn ACL and LCL, Mahomes participated for most of Thursday’s workout, doing individuals, installs and seven-on-sevens while sitting out 11-on-11 drills.He did so while wearing a heavy brace around his reconstructed left knee.“It was good to be back on the field with the guys, more than anything,” Mahomes said Thursday after practice. “Some of those days you’re rehabbing, you’re here by yourself or with a couple of the other guys. You kind of get that juice when everyone gets back in the building. It was good to be out there.”It all raises the bigger question, which Mahomes addressed in January when saying his goal was to return for Week 1 of the regular season.So what are his thoughts now?“That’s always going to be the goal. I don’t want to miss games. As a competitor — as a football player — I want to be there,” Mahomes said. “I know it’s still a long ways away. I can’t predict the future. So all I can do is be great today, and then continue to be great tomorrow. But I’ve gotten to where I’ve gotten to because of that mindset.”While this was progress, Mahomes remained far from a full go on Thursday.Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he intentionally held Mahomes out of any plays that had cross motions from receivers, just to ensure he wouldn’t be contacted on a mix-up. Mahomes also didn’t participate in any team drills where the team’s full offense faced the defense.Still, Reid remained impressed by his QB’s work to be back on the field at all, saying Mahomes had “busted his tail to put himself in this position.”“I like what I’ve seen. He’s working hard,” Reid said. “This is good for him — getting out there and throwing is good for him.”Mahomes said he isn’t running or cutting much at this point, but that will be one of his next milestones. His participation with a heavy knee brace hasn’t been entirely unfamiliar, as he said he practiced in college at Texas Tech with a similar brace.The encouraging part? Mahomes said he’s seen progress every week from where he was previously while working closely alongside Chiefs assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.“I’m in a good spot now compared to where some people thought, but I thought I was gonna be here,” Mahomes said of his progress. “It’s just doing what I’m supposed to do every single day, and then hopefully, that gives me the chance to be out there with the guys whenever we start the season.”Mahomes was effective — and loud — during Thursday’s on-field work, peppering two touchdown passes to Worthy while also finding second-year player Jalen Royals over the middle at one point for a fingertip catch.“Great job!” he screamed to Royals after his grab.When asked about Mahomes doing so much this early — his injury has an expected nine- to 12-month recovery period — Reid said he doesn’t “put anything past” his 10th-year quarterback.“People say, ‘Is he ahead of schedule?’ Who made the schedule? Everybody’s different,” Reid said. “The way he goes about it is different.”Mahomes said that when he does return to the field, he isn’t going to look to hold back and would look to be himself. Though some of his limited mobility in practices has forced him to work more from the pocket lately, he said he’d still be willing to “lay it on the line for my guys” if the situation presented itself in games.So will all of that take place on Sept. 14 for the Chiefs’ opener against the Denver Broncos?“The goal at the end — the very far end — is to be ready to be able to go out there and play with the guys Week 1 at Arrowhead,” Mahomes said. “But I’ve got to take it day by day.”May 28, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms