Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or Cameron Ward

Wednesday, December 17, 1:21 PM

Kansas City Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder said that quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) was operated on quickly to fix the LCL part of his ACL/LCL knee injury that he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Jesse Newell of The Athletic. Mahomes has started his rehab in Dallas this week and will continue through Thursday before returning to KC. The fact that the 30-year-old tore both his ACL and LCL will make his recovery more complicated, but reports suggest that Mahomes is "hellbent" on returning for the Week 1 season opener in 2026. For the final three weeks of the 2025 season, Gardner Minshew will run KC's offense, which is an obvious downgrade for all of the Chiefs' offensive skill players. Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, threw for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 14 games in 2025 in his ninth NFL season.

Monday, January 5, 12:34 PM

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cameron Ward (shoulder) suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Week 18 regular-season finale, but he will not require surgery, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It's the best-case scenario for the young QB heading into the offseason. Ward suffered the injury while diving for a touchdown in the first quarter of Sunday's game, and he never returned. The 23-year-old former first overall pick will be rehabbing for a few months, but barring a setback, he should be recovered well before the start of training camp and the preseason. The Miami product started for the Titans all season in his first year in the NFL and predictably struggled, completing 59.8% of his pass attempts for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He added 39 rushing attempts for 159 yards and two TDs. Ward could be up and down again in Year 2 as he continues to develop, especially since he'll be learning a new offense under a new head coach.