Patrick Mahomes returned from major knee surgery with three total touchdowns as Kansas City opened 2026 with a convincing 31-10 win over Denver.
Patrick Mahomes didn’t need long to answer the biggest question surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs entering the 2026 season.
Nine months after suffering a serious left knee injury, the former Texas Tech star returned to the field Monday night and helped Kansas City beat the Denver Broncos 31-10 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes finished with 184 passing yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a rushing score in his first game back. The numbers weren’t overwhelming, but the way he moved mattered just as much as the box score.
On Kansas City’s opening possession, Mahomes escaped pressure and sprinted 15 yards for a touchdown, a play that immediately showed he wasn’t afraid to trust his surgically repaired knee.
Texas Tech’s football account summed up the moment simply: “He’s back.”
Mahomes did acknowledge there’s still room to improve.
“For us to go out and win like that, that’s the first step,” Mahomes said. “It shows all the work in training camp paid off. But how can we be better?”
The passing game wasn’t always smooth. Mahomes and his receivers showed some early timing issues, and he threw an interception in the second half.
Still, the Chiefs didn’t need him to carry the entire offense.
New running back Kenneth Walker III made sure of that.
Walker rushed for a career-high 173 yards on 23 carries and scored twice in his Kansas City debut.
He also added three catches for 18 yards, giving the Chiefs the type of explosive rushing threat that could take pressure off Mahomes all season.
Head coach Andy Reid called Walker’s performance “spectacular,” and Mahomes was equally impressed.
“It’s just a special ability to run the ball tough between the tackles,” Mahomes said.
Travis Kelce added another milestone night, catching three passes for 71 yards, including a 59-yard gain. That performance moved him past Jason Witten into second place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list among tight ends, behind only Tony Gonzalez.
There was even another Texas Tech connection on the opposite sideline. Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webbonce shared the quarterback room with Mahomes in Lubbock.
For Red Raider fans, though, the biggest takeaway was straightforward.
Mahomes looked mobile, confident and comfortable enough to make plays outside structure.
After months of questions about his recovery, his first game back offered the answer Kansas City and Texas Tech fans wanted to see. Patrick Mahomes is back.
