The Kansas City Chiefs are holding the annual rookie minicamp this weekend, getting a fresh look at first-year players and potential newcomers to the organization. It is Phase 1 of the team’s offseason program, with Phase 2 to follow soon after.
Phase 3 of the offseason kicks off with the OTA offseason workouts beginning May 26, more than three weeks after this minicamp. That’s when the familiar faces will take the field in preparation for the 2026 season for the first time, and that could include quarterback Patrick Mahomes, despite recovering from tearing his ACL and LCL last December.
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On Saturday, before the second day of on-field workouts for minicamp attendees, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke on Mahomes’ potential availability when OTAs begin.
“We have got to see on that,” Reid began. “He is in a good position to be able to do some things, there are just some rules and regulations that go with that, so we just have to make sure we’re on top of that part.”
Reid is referring to the rules surrounding the “Physically Unable to Perform” designation (PUP), he clarified later. Players placed on this list at the start of training camp are unable to participate in practice but can take part in all other team activities. These players do not count against the active roster limit.
Players can be activated at any point during camp once they have medical clearance, but no player can be placed on the PUP list after they have practiced or played in a preseason game.
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The bottom line: once Mahomes participates in any practice, he may become ineligible for the PUP list.
With that in mind, Reid continued to speak on where Mahomes could be when OTAs kick off in late May.
“If he can do some things… phase 2, there’s no contact, there’s no offense versus defense, it’s phase 3 that you get into that,” Reid clarified. “Once you start the clock, then the clock has to be rolling, so you just have to evaluate what you want to do there, but he’s in a position where he can do everything.”
The team is clearly thinking hard about how to ensure Mahomes returns when he is supposed to, and what that will look like through all phases of the offseason.
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No matter the team’s plan, the MVP quarterback is working hard himself, ensuring there’s no hesitancy from his end to take the field.
“I know he’s doing a lot of stuff right now,” Reid acknowledged. “He is throwing the ball, and he does it on his own, so he’s not getting in any trouble here.”
The team is monitoring him closely — but not too close, as Reid joked to end his press conference.
“I don’t have video,” Reid laughed.
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