Reid: Mahomes unlikely for preseason opener

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Although Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has participated in every part of training camp, coach Andy Reid acknowledged Friday that he will likely not have him play in the team's preseason opener next week against the Los Angeles Rams. "I mean, there's a pretty good chance where I don't play him," Reid said of Mahomes, who had surgery in December to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. "[The] percentages are leading that way. I don't know if I'll play him in the second or third game. I don't know that. The percentages probably lean against not doing that." Mahomes, a nine-year veteran, has never missed the entire preseason before in his career. Throughout camp, Mahomes has done well to demonstrate that his recovery has gone as well as the Chiefs could've hoped. He has led the first team-offense in every 11-on-11 period, displaying his accuracy and even improvements with his deep passes, most of them targeting receiver Tyquan Thornton. Every practice has also featured a repetition or two of Mahomes scrambling or sprinting out of the pocket to showcase that he can cut and change directions when necessary. Since the offseason began in January, Mahomes has made it his mission to be the starter for the Chiefs' season opener, a home game Sept. 14 against the Denver Broncos on "Monday Night Football." "I'm a competitor, so [on] game day, I'm going to want to be out there," Mahomes said two weeks ago about the preseason. "But I understand the process of getting myself ready to play in the regular season is more important. We'll see. The coaches and doctors will make that decision for me, but I'll prepare myself like I'm going to play." In Thursday's non-padded practice, Reid gave the first indication that Mahomes would likely not be in the lineup for the preseason opener. Reid, for the first time in camp, had backup quarterback Justin Fields take his first 11-on-11 repetitions with the first-team offense. "We've got new people behind [Mahomes] that need some work," Reid said, referencing Fields and rookie Garrett Nussmeier. "The more reps they get, the better."