What you need to know
Patrick Mahomes seems to think it’s time for a comeback.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, 30, shared two cryptic photos of himself on Instagram on Tuesday, Jan. 5, that included what appeared to be an underlying message about potentially returning to the field after tearing his ACL in December.
The first photo Mahomes shared showed the quarterback walking off the field wearing a Chiefs jersey and helmet with his head bowed low.
Steve Sanders/Kansas City Chiefs (via AP)
The second photo shows the three-time Super Bowl champion jumping high in the end zone, football in hand, scoring a touchdown with the excitement of Chiefs Kingdom in the background.
The contrast between the slides could be a way to hint at Mahomes’ eventual comeback, as the photo transitions from one looking defeated to one celebrating.
“⏰,” Mahomes simply captioned the post.
The NFL star frequently uses the clock emoji in the captions of his posts, but fans in the comments seem to think the ticking symbol has a deeper meaning.
One user wrote, “The biggest comeback in history, be sure to pre-order!”
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Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire (via Getty)
“Can’t wait for 🐐 to be back next season ❤️,” one user wrote, using a goat emoji, a nod to the acronym GOAT (meaning “greatest of all time”).
The star QB’s wife, Brittany Mahomes, also commented. She simply reposted the merry-go-round on her Instagram Stories, leaving three red heart emojis.
“My man,” she added, adding another red heart emoji as a text overlay.
Steve Sanders/Kansas City Chiefs (via AP)
Mahomes tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14, trying to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory and keep their playoff hopes alive. He missed the remainder of the game and ultimately ended up missing the rest of the season due to injury.
The next day, Mahomes headed to Dallas for surgery on his left knee to repair two torn ligaments in his foot (ACL and LCL). The treatment was successful and he is now back in Kansas City undergoing rehabilitation.
Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder told reporters three days after Mahomes’ injury that the “ballpark estimate” for the QB’s recovery is approximately “nine months,” meaning the three-time Super Bowl MVP is aiming to return in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
“Every player is different. It’s a different sport. It’s a different position,” Burkholder said, according to ESPN, adding that Mahomes is “very in tune with what he’s doing and he’s doing it a little faster.”
