Patrick Mahomes is back on the field, starting opening night under center for the Kansas City Chiefs — and his family was by his side.
Mahomes, 30, was seen jogging over to the sideline during warmups at Arrowhead Stadium to kiss his wife, Brittany, before kickoff against the Denver Broncos on Monday, September 14.
Brittany, 31, and Patrick have been together since high school, with Brittany a frequent presence at his games through college and into the pros. The pair married in 2022 and shares three kids, daughters Starling, 5, and Golden, 20 months, as well as son Patrick Jr., 3.
The Monday night matchup marked Patrick’s first game since tearing his ACL and LCL in a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers last December. The three-time Super Bowl champion underwent surgery days later, beginning his rehab shortly after with the goal of being on the field for the Chiefs’ 2026 opener.
Even as his recovery progressed, it wasn’t clear until days before the game that he would be ready to start.
“As far as our roster goes, very good chance that Patrick will go ahead and start, unless something were to come up here in the next couple days,” head coach Andy Reid finally told reporters on Tuesday, September 8. “But most likely he’ll be the guy that’s out there.”
Reid, 68, continued, “He’s shown everything. He hasn’t missed a day as you know. You guys have seen him out there so you know what it looks like, him running around and doing his stuff. Other than having a brace on his leg, everything looks normal. He’s running around the same way he’s always done and throwing the ball like he’s always done. I think we’ll be fine there.”
Patrick did not play in any of the Chiefs’ preseason games, but updated the media on his recovery and rehab progress throughout camp. Speaking to reporters in August, he added that at 30, he’s had to adjust to not being one of the younger players in the locker room.
“I feel like your whole career though, you have to enjoy the moments,” he reflected. “To have that different perspective, now being a father is to enjoy the little moments and enjoy the time at camp, enjoy the cafeteria, because all of a sudden you’re going to look up, you’re not going to be coming back here.”
He continued, “And so, I hope that’s a long ways away, but I do enjoy getting to be here, listen to this music I’ve never heard of and just be that old guy at camp now and try to build those relationships with your teammates.”
