Real Football: Is Patrick Mahomes BACK?!

I believe it’s illegal in at least 27 states to publicly doubt Patrick Mahomes.

He has earned that right.

He was a central the-one-that-got-away figure in our first story ever at Go Long.

There’s a strong case to make that Mahomes is the best quarterback ever this side of Tom Brady. The Kansas City Chiefs star has captivated us all with a magic to his game.

Yet, last season, Mahomes posted career lows across the board and the Chiefs missed the playoffs. In my piece on C.J. Stroud and the gnarly Texans defense, sources detailed the team’s blueprint vs. Mahomes — one that Philadelphia used in the Super Bowl, one that bludgeoned the QB into submission. Houston made him look downright bad in 2025.

Of course, the three-time champion and five-time Super Bowl participant is also coming off a torn ACL. This could dull mobility, too.

Under the Monday Night Football glow, Mahomes started sluggish, ran for one touchdown and threw short for two more in a 31-10 win over Denver.

What do we make of his performance? Where do Mahomes and the Chiefs go from here?

This is our main topic on “Real Football” with co-host Jim Monos, our longtime NFL scout.

Andy Reid and Brett Veach restructured this team in major ways in an attempt to create a new championship window. (Holy, Kenneth Walker Jr.)

We get into plenty on the first episode of the regular season.

* Everything Mahomes. (Also: I loved the QB’s trainer, Bobby Stroupe, sharing our story as motivation.)