With the Kansas City Chiefs making it clear that Patrick Mahomes is expected to be ready for OTAs, there is a new expectation that the star will be back in Week 1. For many KC fans, this doesn't come as a surprise with Mahomes having Jordan-like qualities in his obsession with the game and refusal to accept what would be a typical recovery timeline off a serious ACL injury. Still, there should be some reservations from KC and a desire to protect the quarterback.
For the first month of the season, Andy Reid is going to have to lean on Eric Bieniemy, who is noted for his tougher approach with players. There are going to need to be lines drawn to protect Mahomes from himself and allow the quarterback his best chance to get back up to speed and remain healthy. With this in mind, let's look at three things the Chiefs must do in the first weeks of the season to protect the quarterback.
Chiefs need to take the pressure off of Mahomes
1. Mahomes must become a pocket quarterback
Obviously, the accomplished passer is elite from the pocket, and this point in no way suggests otherwise. What this means is that Reid and Bieniemy both need to drive home the fact that the quarterback may have to lose a few plays to win long-term. So often, Mahomes has created with his legs and was consistently the team's leading rusher in the 2025 season.
For the first months of the 2026 season, it is going to be Kenneth Walker III who is the only rushing presence from the Kansas City backfield. Mahomes cannot be squaring up defensive backs or working his magic to find an extra five yards on an attempted rush. The feeling towards this will be very different in January when the games matter far more, but to get there, the Chiefs need Mahomes healthy, and this means staying in the pocket or getting rid of the ball even when the quarterback feels there is space.
2. Andy Reid must lean on new backfield duo
This leads to the obvious point that if Mahomes isn't going to be rushing the football and doesn't need to be taking hits, it's Walker and Emmett Johnson who will be facing high expectations. It is okay if the Chiefs go 2-2 in September and simply focus on a run-first approach that limits the early-season offense.
Mahomes needs time to get up to speed and have his confidence built back up in the offense and in his own physical abilities. The clearest path to getting this done is leaning on the run game like crazy in the first weeks of the NFL calender and accepting that the season isn't going to be lost in September as long as Mahomes is kept healthy and given the needed time.
3. Utilize Justin Fields
Fields has previously been utilized as a wildcat quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and gives Bieniemy and Reid the ability to create a number of wildcard options. Fields is such a unique talent and can be used both as a short-yardage weapon or simply as a rushing option to help keep the defense off balance.
While you never want to take Mahomes off the field, it makes sense early in the season to allow Fields a chance to play a role and help ease the league's best quarterback back after an incredibly fast recovery. If it doesn't work in the first game or two, the Chiefs can easily pull the plug and keep Fields on the bench the rest of the 2026 season.
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