In December, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee late in the team's Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Now, just over seven months after his injury, Mahomes appears set to take on a full workload during Kansas City's training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri.On Friday, head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Mahomes had "been cleared to go ahead and participate fully." After Reid's press availability, Mahomes discussed his recovery from his own perspective."It was always the goal to be able to practice when we got to training camp, and so we've kind of hit that next step, and now it's just going to be about building and getting better and better so that whenever the regular season comes around, I can try to be available and ready to play," Mahomes said.While Mahomes has had to manage his offseason workouts in a unique way while recovering, he explained that there have been pros and cons to his rehab."I feel stronger than I've ever felt, as far as strength and lifting and stuff like that," Mahomes said. "Now it's just about getting that quarterback stuff down. Moving in the pocket quick, making those quick movements, reacting and doing stuff like that. I felt like I wasn't playing my best football at the end of last year before I got hurt, and so I've got to find ways to get better navigating the pocket, running the offense better and getting the ball out of my hands and letting other guys make plays. I think this injury helped me focus on those little things as I get back to being who I am."During his recovery and rehab, Mahomes said he spoke with Tom Brady and Tyrann Mathieu—two retired peers who suffered similar injuries during their careers—as well as tight end Zach Ertz, who suffered a torn ACL just a week earlier than Mahomes. The Chiefs' quarterback said Ertz provided encouraging competition during a challenging process."We kind of had competitions on, like, where we were at and where we were rehabbing," Mahomes said. "It's just talking to guys that've been through this process and just say how you have to stay on top of it. It's a long process. I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games and how much it hurt me, but I knew that if I continued to work, I could be at this spot where I get cleared for practice, and now I'm just trying to get to that spot where I'm cleared to play in the regular season on that first week."Andy Reid on the possibility of Patrick Mahomes playing Week 1:“I'm optimistic... I know he is extremely optimistic.” pic.twitter.com/i7eRR6n5wP— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 24, 2026Mahomes said he officially knew he would be able to practice at the start of camp "two days ago" after meeting with Dr. Dan Cooper, who performed the repair on Mahomes' knee.Mahomes acknowledged that training camp practices come with a lower physical bar to clear since he won't be taking hits from the Chiefs' defense in St. Joe, but that will change as soon as he takes the field against an opponent in 2026. Does Mahomes want to suit up for a preseason game in preparation for the upcoming season?"I think we'll just see when we get there," Mahomes said. "I'm a competitor, so [on] game day I'm going to want to be out there, but I understand the process of getting myself ready to play in the regular season is more important. We will see. The coaches and docs will kind of make that decision for me, but I'll prepare myself like I'm going to play, and then if I'm just doing a very hard warm-up, I will take that as serious as playing in the preseason game."⏰— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 24, 2026While Mahomes' progress is already a very good sign for him and his team, the two-time MVP consistently restated that there's much more work to be done."It's a long process," Mahomes said. "The process isn't over. It'll be something I'll probably deal with for the next few years of my career and throughout the rest of my career, but you have to stay on top of that stuff, but I feel comfortable now being able to go out there and run the offense the way the offense is supposed to be ran."Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow