KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says he knows this has been coming — but he also doesn’t want anyone to take it for granted.Yes, it’s been clear for a while that quarterback Patrick Mahomes would return from knee surgery for Monday night’s season opener against the Denver Broncos, exactly nine months after Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee on Dec. 14.What the Chiefs quarterback has done over those past 274 days, though?“It’s incredible,” Veach said. “That’s a guy that defines what leadership and what the face of a franchise should look like.”What Mahomes has accomplished — for good reason — is likely to be seen as historic.Patrick Mahomes drops a one-liner ahead of his return vs. BroncosJesse NewellEven an optimistic timeline from his injury might have put him back with the Chiefs sometime in October. Instead, Mahomes will not only be his team’s Week 1 starter at Arrowhead Stadium, but he’ll also accomplish that after taking every first-team rep during training camp in St. Joseph, Mo.“The guy flipped a switch from the moment he had that surgery,” tight end Travis Kelce told The Athletic. “He had a goal in mind to be able to be here Week 1 with us. And he’s here.”So what did Mahomes’ path to this point require? You’ll need to know about a quick choice, then a pair of workout buddies who shared the journey with him.After that was a stress-filled test, then an early-morning schedule few would sign up for.Veach has been close enough to know this much: Mahomes has accomplished something extraordinary … even if the quarterback doesn’t like talking about it much.“The level of sacrifice,” Veach said, “is something that has been an example throughout the entire organization.”‘That guy, man’Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he remembers when Mahomes first underwent an MRI on his injured knee on Dec. 14.And the response Mahomes gave immediately afterward.“He goes, ‘I’m coming back (for Week 1),’” Reid said, recalling Mahomes’ words. “There was no hesitation.”That hope, however, would soon require more than commitment. It also needed a quick decision, because orthopedic surgeon Dan Cooper in Dallas told Mahomes the best path to a speedy recovery would be getting surgery as soon as possible.Veach said Mahomes didn’t waste any time.“It wasn’t like, ‘Well, let me think about it,’” Veach said. “He tore his knee, and he was on a plane the next day.”That was just the start.Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton remembers being surprised on Dec. 16 — the day after Mahomes’ surgery in Dallas — when he saw his quarterback already working in the Chiefs’ training room.“That guy, man,” Thornton said with a smile, “he just loves to compete.”Mahomes acknowledged the next part wasn’t easy.He recalled sitting at a training table and watching the Chiefs on TV during their final three games of the 2025 season, feeling helpless as they went 0-3 without him.It was clear to him then: He was going to do everything possible to avoid missing another game.“This has always been the goal,” Mahomes said, “to get out there and play Week 1.”Patrick Mahomes trained alongside coach Andy Reid during the offseason and compared notes with NFL tight end Zach Ertz, who had ACL surgery the same day as Mahomes. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)Sharing the journeyThe work that went into that was intense — and nearly non-stop.Early on, he trained alongside Reid, who had his own knee surgery this offseason, at the team facility. At one point in late March, Reid jokingly described the arrangement as assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer working on Mahomes’ leg first, then taking any lingering frustrations out on him.Through it all, Reid said he appreciated getting a “bird’s-eye view” of Mahomes while working next to him.“There were no days off. He kept stacking the days,” Reid said. “Some days you don’t want to go in there. You’re not feeling it. But he kept showing up.”That continued in future months. Veach said that whenever he checked into the team facility during times the building was almost empty, Mahomes was in the training room with Frymyer, working while World Cup games played on TVs in the background.It wasn’t just convenient times, either. After Kelce’s wedding in New York? Mahomes was back to start the next week. And following former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster’s wedding in California? Mahomes immediately returned to K.C.“He gave up an entire summer,” Veach said.Mahomes also figured out how to grind through the toughest parts.One of the biggest challenges of ACL rehab is the first months, when progress can be non-linear. One might be stuck at one weight on a leg exercise for a week because of limited range of motion, where nothing lets you lift even one pound more than before.So Mahomes sought out support — and also competition.He sent frequent text messages to NFL tight end Zach Ertz, who had his ACL surgery the same day as Mahomes. The two — from afar — compared how the doctors were progressing them and how quickly each could start to bend his knee.Through that process, Ertz said he also learned more about Mahomes, even though he has never officially been his teammate.“It’s not surprising why he’s so great,” Ertz told The Athletic in mid-August. “He attacks everything.”A nervous momentIt all put Mahomes on an accelerated recovery track.Just five months after surgery, he returned to limited practices during OTAs and mandatory minicamp in May and June.A moment of truth followed in July. The week before training camp, Mahomes met with Cooper and had to pass a stress test that included running and jumping drills to clear him for full practices. Though Mahomes had done well on those same tests while working on them with Frymyer in Kansas City, he put extra pressure on himself this time, wanting to ensure he would be there with teammates for every snap in St. Joseph.“You’re nervous because you’re so close to camp,” Mahomes said, “and have to pass it on that first time.”Mahomes did. And from there, he made it tough for observers in training camp to realize he was coming off an injury at all.The clearest evidence was a bulky knee brace that Mahomes started tucking under his red leg tights to keep it in place.But his arm? And playmaking skills? Those remained, and Mahomes repeatedly impressed in camp.“Every time I watch him in practice,” special teams coordinator Dave Toub said last week, “I don’t see anything that’s different from when he was healthy.”The work hasn’t let up since.Backup quarterback Justin Fields said he had talked with Mahomes about his routine since the team returned to Kansas City after training camp. Mahomes shared that he shows up to the facility at 6 a.m. on practice days, which means he wakes up between 5 and 5:15 each morning to allow time for his drive.“One thing’s for sure,” Fields said. “He definitely puts in the work.”And while that’s true, it’s not something Mahomes really wants to talk much about — especially not now that the season is here.What’s next?Mahomes was repeatedly asked about the condition of his knee during a news conference last week, saying he believed he’d be back to himself against the Broncos for Week 1.After the final question, though, Mahomes appeared to share his inner thoughts as he turned toward the exit door.“Hopefully,” he said with a smile, “I’m done with the questions about the leg.”If not, it’s only because the outside world is finally catching up to what Mahomes has accomplished over the past nine months.ACL comebacks don’t usually happen this quickly, especially not for 10-year veterans who have already won three Super Bowls and have every reason to take things cautiously.Perhaps most impressive about Mahomes’ comeback, though? Some closest to him are thrilled … but also not surprised.“Nothing really amazes me with Patty Mahomes, man. He’s a special individual,” Kelce said. “When he puts his mind to something, and he’s determined to get it done, he usually gets it done.”Veach still wants to make it clear: This is not normal.Someone wired like Mahomes? With the ability to achieve what he did since December?The Chiefs might never have someone like him again.“From start to finish, he attacked this thing full throttle,” Veach said. “And everyone in the building sees it.”