NFL Opens 2026 Season With Week 1 Spotlight on Rams, Mahomes and Allen

Q: Will Patrick Mahomes' rapid nine-month ACL recovery backfire behind a shaky Chiefs offensive line on Monday night?

It could, but the bigger risk is exposure rather than the recovery itself. Mahomes appears medically close enough to play nine months after ACL surgery, with Andy Reid saying he is “most likely” ready and multiple reports describing him as ahead of schedule. A nine-month return is aggressive for an NFL quarterback, but not unprecedented, especially for a player whose game relies more on vision, arm talent and pocket movement than on designed rushing volume. The sharper concern is Kansas City’s protection. The Chiefs are already reshuffling at left tackle because Josh Simmons is not expected to play, and their tackle depth has been strained by camp injuries and recent roster patchwork. That matters against a Denver team coming off an AFC West title and likely to test the edges early, forcing Mahomes to move and reset on a surgically repaired knee. Still, “backfire” may be too strong if the Chiefs adjust properly. Reid can reduce risk with quicker throws, heavier use of Kenneth Walker, extra tight end or back help in protection, and fewer extended drop-backs. Mahomes also does not need to look like peak Mahomes in Week 1 for Kansas City to function. So the answer is yes, there is real Monday-night risk if the offensive line leaks and the game turns into constant improvisation. But the threat is less that Mahomes returned too soon on paper and more that the Chiefs may be asking a newly cleared quarterback to survive behind an unstable front.

3 articles · Updated · CNN · Sep 9

Week 1 opens with the Rams as +500 Super Bowl favorites, fueled by offseason trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie plus Aaron Donald’s return from retirement.
Thursday’s Rams-49ers opener in Australia on Netflix also brings intrigue around San Francisco, which added Mike Evans after an offseason marked by Kyle Shanahan’s crash and owner Jed York’s legal case.
Seattle starts Wednesday in a Super Bowl rematch with New England despite entering as only the NFC West’s third choice; Mike Macdonald is 15-2 on the road through two seasons.
Kansas City’s Monday opener against Denver will test Patrick Mahomes nine months after his ACL tear, while Buffalo begins at Houston with Josh Allen chasing his first Super Bowl trip in Year 9.