Patrick Mahomes is not medically cleared for Week 1 yet, but that hasn’t stopped his teammates from speaking out about what they’re seeing from their fellow Chief. Mahomes has been out since late last year after suffering a season-ending knee injury, but as the Kansas City Chiefs’ signal-caller continues his recovery, the praise from within the Chiefs’ locker room keeps coming.

Most recently, All-Pro offensive guard Trey Smith candidly discusses the mindset of the superstar quarterback during his recovery and why he feels the need to raise his level of play this upcoming season. According to Smith, there really is no question what needs to happen on his end.

Trey Smith Explains Why Patrick Mahomes’ Rehab Has Motivated The Entire Chiefs Locker Room

Talking to media members during the offseason program of the Chiefs, Smith commended Mahomes for his fierce competition spirit and hard-working mentality as the once NFL MVP makes efforts to recover from the torn ACL and LCL injury he sustained against the Los Angeles Chargers in an encounter played on December 14, 2025. Injuring him put an end to the season for Mahomes and closed the book on the Chiefs’ playoff chances. However, the recent developments concerning the young man have been making people optimistic about the player. 

According to accounts coming out of the Chiefs’ offseason program, Mahomes is back to throwing practice with the help of a left knee brace.

“Pat is the most competitive dude I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around—I think he’s going the be the greatest QB to ever play the game—I owe it to him to have my best season, so he is clean.”

“Pat is the most competitive dude I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around—I think he’s going the be the greatest QB to ever play the game—I owe it to him to have my best season, so he is clean.”#Chiefs Trey Smith on Mahomes mentality during rehab.

Via @T_Armstead72pic.twitter.com/oVBWLMkDGQ

— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) June 5, 2026

These comments come in addition to a string of testimonials from other players and coaches. Mahomes is in good physical shape and has been committed to the recovery process, Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters earlier in the offseason.

The three-time Super Bowl winner also employed a similar tone when addressing the press at Organized Team Activities. “Obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to our goals but my goal is just to be ready for the start of the NFL season,” Mahomes said. 

That confidence has also raised quite a few expectations outside the building. Recently, ESPN’s Jason Reid predicted that if Mahomes was able to recover on schedule and if he could lead a rejuvenated Chiefs’ attack, the star might be back in contention for MVP honors in 2026.

For their part, the Chiefs would prefer not to talk about any particular accolades for now. However, one thing is clear: the message being sent from inside the locker room is very loud and clear. Mahomes’ dedication has certainly left an impression, according to players such as Smith, who sees his QB’s mindset setting the pace for the whole team.

The post Patrick Mahomes Receives Ultimate Praise From Chiefs Star Amid Rehab Process appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

Russell Wilson’s NFL retirement announcement on Wednesday garnered a lot of attention across the league. Former and current players congratulated him for his successful career and for joining CBS Sports as an analyst.

Wilson posted a video on Instagram where he looked back on his career journey. He also used it as the platform to thank his family, friends, teammates and fans for their support. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped his reaction in the comments section. It received thousands of likes from fans.

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“Congrats on a helluva career man!” Mahomes wrote.

Wilson responded by expressing gratefulness for being able to compete against him

“thanks 15. Love we got to share the field together! Keep being an inspiration to the kids!” Wilson replied.

Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson’s history

The quarterbacks share a dynamic NFL history. Their dominance overlapped in different eras. They went head-to-head four times in the regular season as starters when Wilson starred for the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.

Mahomes holds a 3-1 record over him. The last face-off was on Oct. 29, 2023, when Kansas City won 23-9 over Denver.

Wilson retires as a 2014 Super Bowl champion, two-time NFC champion and 10-time Pro Bowler, among other accolades. Mahomes, on the other hand, is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered on Dec. 14 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year old went under the knife the following day to fix it. However, he could reportedly be ready by Week 1 to lead the Chiefs in bouncing back after a disappointing 2025 campaign. They finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era.