The Red Raider icon returns to Monday Night Football following reconstructive knee surgery, sporting a protective brace as Andy Reid clears his superstar for a divisional showdown.
The cliche has it that when it comes to Texas Tech football, "all eyes will be on'' this weekend's game against Oregon State.
And we get it; the No. 12-ranked Red Raiders took down Abilene Christian 33-10 last week in less-than-dominant fashion ... and so Lubbock will be watching for more this week.
But that's Saturday.
On Monday ...
Those "eyes'' get to refocus on a "favorite son'' of Lubbock.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes - maybe the most legendary Red Raider of them all - is expected to start on "Monday Night Football'' against the Denver Broncos as he works to complete his return from a significant left knee injury.
Mahomes underwent surgery in December to repair a torn ACL and LCL. He was cleared for all football activities in July and rather amazingly has not missed a practice since the start of training camp.
The Chiefs held him out of the entire preseason. ... but that might be more a result of KC being smart rather than of coach Andy Reid's club being careful.
But now?
“Most likely, he'll be the guy out there,” Reid said. “Other than having a brace on his leg, everything looks normal. He's running around the same way he's always done.
"think he'll be fine there.”
Mahomes' rapid-rehab ability is a very notable thing, as is his well-known desire to compete at the highest possible level ... something that for him that dates back to his iconic time in a Texas Tech uniform.
The Texas native played here for Texas Tech University from 2014 through 2016 before becoming an NFL Draft pick in the first round and landing with Kansas City.
Even while Mahomes is on track to start Week 1, our friend "Pro Football Doc'' is cautioning that being cleared to play does not necessarily mean that Mahomes has completely returned to his pre-injury form - that being "perennial All-Pro QB.''
“Playing does not equal 100 percent,” Dr. David J. Chao said while at the same time congratulating Mahomes on his "great recovery!”
Of course, as Red Raiders fans will surely agree, less than "100 percent'' of Patrick Mahomes still ranks him ahead of most of his NFL rivals.
