On Tuesday, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid revealed that franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes will start in Week 1 after months of rehab from a torn ACL and LCL. Things had been trending in that direction for weeks, with Mahomes a full participant throughout training camp, but Tuesday's report confirmed it. Shortly after, however, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, raised some concerns ahead of the Chiefs' season opener, a "Monday Night Football" matchup against the Denver Broncos.
"Significant concerns," Orlovsky said. "Never take greatness for granted. What an incredible job by Mahomes.
To get back from this injury speaks to his character, the competitor, the leader, the teammate. Outstanding. [But] yes, I have concerns. This defensive front, even without Jonathon Cooper [who's] on the Commissioner's Exempt list, led the NFL in sacks.
Because of the way the offensive makeup is right now, I'm a little bit cautious going into this game if I'm Kansas City." More news: Puka Nacua Gets Major Suspension Update Ahead of Rams Season Opener Mahomes' coaches and teammates have spoken very highly of him all summer, insisting he hasn't lost a step and has fully recovered from the injury. The fact that the team didn't hesitate to name him their Week 1 starter backs that sentiment. But we also haven't seen Mahomes in a competitive setting since December.
Kansas City sat him out all three preseason games, and while he performed well in practice, going up against Chiefs defenders is different than what the Broncos will be rolling out Monday night. Last season, Denver led the entire NFL with 68 total sacks. That tied the 1985 New York Giants for the fifth-most by a team in league history, just four shy of the 1984 Chicago Bears' all-time record of 72.
It'd be natural to assume there'd be some regression, but the Broncos are running it back with basically the same roster, headlined by a defense featuring All-Pro pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen, who combined for 21 sacks alone last year. More news: Browns Fans Fuming Over Todd Monken’s Latest Deshaun Watson Announcement More news: Latest Chiefs Injury News is the Last Thing Patrick Mahomes Wants to Hear Add in a banged-up Chiefs offensive line, with starting left tackle Josh Simmons expected to miss the Broncos game, and Mahomes could be under a lot of pressure in Week 1. That's probably the last thing you'd want for a player coming off the first serious injury of his NFL career."
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