Who Should I Start? Patrick Mahomes or Michael Penix Jr.

Thursday, January 15, 4:11 PM

Omar Ruiz of NFL Network reports that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) says his rehab from ACL and LCL tears in his knee is "going great." According to Ruiz, Mahomes stated that his goal is to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season, which doctors have said is possible, but there is still a long way to go. Mahomes underwent surgery in mid-December, so a Week 1 return would require less than nine months of recovery time. Across 14 games before getting injured, the 30-year-old completed 62.7% of his pass attempts for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Mahomes also rushed for 422 yards and five scores, making 2025 the most productive rushing season of his career. His recovery progress will be one of the key storylines for fantasy managers to track throughout the offseason.

Friday, February 6, 7:48 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) said on the Up & Adams Show on Friday that his recovery from knee surgery is a "little bit" ahead of schedule. Penix suffered a torn left ACL in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, but he's hoping he'll be ready to roll for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall. The 25-year-old has already recovered from two ACL tears in his right knee in college, so he's pretty familiar with the rehab process. He's been attacking his rehab diligently since having surgery on Nov. 25, but there's no guarantee that Penix will be ready for Week 1, making him an extremely volatile QB2 target in fantasy football drafts this fall. Before his knee injury, the former eighth overall pick out of Washington was extremely inconsistent in nine starts in his first year as the full-time starter, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine TDs, and three picks.