Patrick Mahomes return to the field was a successful one for himself and the rest of the team in their dominant Monday Night Football victory over the Denver Broncos.

Patrick Mahomes speaks on return: ‘I just wanted to go out there and play’

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Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes speaks on return: ‘I just wanted to go out there and play’
by: Jared Bush

Posted: Sep 14, 2026 / 11:38 PM CDT

Updated: Sep 14, 2026 / 11:47 PM CDT

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes return to the field was a successful one for himself and the rest of the team in their dominant Monday Night Football victory over the Denver Broncos.

It was not Mahomes’ best day, finishing 15/27, with 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, but he showed the flashes of the player who has set the league ablaze since the moment he became the starter.

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Mahomes’ swift return to action has been well-documented, becoming arguably the most talked-about story of the NFL offseason.

Monday night was nine months to the day that he suffered his ACL injury, leaving many wondering how he would be able to move on the field.

He silenced any doubts early on, after scrambling up the middle and diving on a 15-yard touchdown run on the Chiefs opening drive.

“To be able to do that against that defense, it was big. It kind of gave me the confidence I could go out there and be myself,” Mahomes said about his run. “I want to get some of these passes down the field a little bit more, but that was definitely the moment, physically, that I could say all this work’s paid off. I didn’t feel anything.”

It was a strenuous journey for Mahomes to be able to get back on the field in Week 1, spending an entire offseason and summer rehabbing since the moment he got injured, so it was expected that he would have to work out some kinks. It was a rough start for the passing game, but Mahomes found his rhythm as the game went along.

“I’ve done so much rehab and so much work to put myself in this position. I just wanted to get out there and play. This is what you do it for. I feel like I didn’t play my best football… we still were able to go out there and beat a really good football team cause the guys around me stepped up and knew that they were gonna have to help me as I kind of get back into the rhythm of things.”

While Mahomes was finding himself, it was running back Kenneth Walker who carried the offense as he made a resounding statement in his debut.

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The Chiefs brought him in to revitalize a stale run game that had grown stale, and he did just that, finishing with 23 carries for 173 yards, include a game-breaking 60-yard TD pass.

“It’s just a special ability to run the ball tough, between the tackles, and then when he does bounce it, he has the speed to go all the way,” Mahomes said.

It was an immense win for a team that had a plethora of questions coming into the 2026 campaign.

If Week 1 was any indication, the Chiefs certainly could see themselves amongst the NFL’s hierarchy once again.