Patrick Mahomes returned to action for the Kansas City Chiefs in their 2026 season opener, leading them to a 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl champion, threw two touchdown passes and rushed for one touchdown. He completed 15 of 27 pass attempts.
It was Mahomes' first game back after an ACL injury kept him out of the 2025 season. After the game, he addressed his return.
"I just wanted to play," Mahomes said. "I've done so much rehab and so much work to put myself in this position. I just wanted to get out there and play. That's what you do it for."
Mahomes credited his teammates' performance in offsetting any rust from his absence.
"Whenever I felt like I didn't play my best football, we were still able to go out there and beat a really good football team pretty well," he said. "It's because the guys around me stepped up and knew that they're going to have to help me as I get back into the rhythm of things."
