Patrick Mahomes is currently focused on one goal: getting healthy enough to lead the Kansas City Chiefs again. But even while rehabbing from knee surgery, the two-time NFL MVP is still paying attention to the next wave of talent across the league — and he made that clear during the Chicago Bears’ divisional round thriller.
Late in the Bears’ matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Caleb Williams delivered one of the biggest plays of the postseason. And Mahomes was among the first stars to react.
Here’s what you need to know.
Caleb Williams Stuns NFL World With a Patrick Mahomes-Like Throw
With the Bears trailing late and facing a fourth-down situation with the game on the line, Williams escaped pressure and launched a deep, off-balance pass that immediately drew comparisons to Mahomes’ signature style of playmaking.
Williams came under heavy pressure from multiple Rams defenders, scrambled backward, and leaned away from the rush — but still managed to locate tight end Cole Kmet deep on the left side of the end zone for a game-tying touchdown.
The touchdown tied the score at 17-17 and pushed the game into overtime.
Mahomes reacted on X with a brief but enthusiastic response, writing: “awesome!!”
Other NFL quarterbacks and veterans chimed in as well. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles posted, “Caleb Williams are you kidding me??? That was one of the most unbelievable plays I have ever seen. Cole Kmet way to be ready!”
Russell Wilson also praised the moment, writing, “Wow! @CALEBcsw! Wow! What a play.”
Patrick Mahomes Admits It’s Been Tough Watching the Playoffs From the Sideline
While Mahomes celebrated the big throw, his own focus remains on recovery — and adjusting to the unusual feeling of not playing in January.
In his first public comments since undergoing knee surgery on Dec. 15, Mahomes explained how difficult it has been to watch the playoffs without being on the field.
“Guys are getting away right now,” Mahomes said Thursday. “Kind of getting their minds right, getting their bodies right. But guys are hungry to get back out there. I mean, it’s hard to watch these playoff games.”
Mahomes acknowledged that rehabilitation comes with a heavy mental component, especially given the high expectations attached to the Chiefs. He said he approaches the process with daily goals and an understanding that pushing too hard too soon can work against him.
“Yeah, for sure,” Mahomes said. “I mean, that’s something that I have to think of, I think the coaches and the organization all have to think of, at the same time. That’s why they give me limits to where I can push it.”
Mahomes made clear that he has a full support system inside the organization as he works back — including Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder and assistant athletic trainer Julie Frymyer.
“There’s a place you can’t go yet,” Mahomes said, “which I want to but I can’t go yet. But at the same time, they’re doing it for a reason.”
He added that the plan begins with the medical team that handled the procedure.
“
That starts with Dr. Cooper and his team,” he said. “That starts with Julie and Rick and all of them in the training room, and it kind of feeds throughout the entire organization.”
Mental Health and Family Have Become Part of the Rehab Routine
Mahomes also noted that staying mentally locked in is just as important as the physical work, especially during a grueling recovery schedule.
“It definitely weighs on your mental a little bit,” he said. “But for me, I think just having that goal in mind of trying to get better every day, and knowing what I’m striving to do, which is to be ready as quickly as possible, and have a chance to play in that opening-day game.”
Mahomes said his goal is to return by Week 1, which falls a bit later than usual — the weekend of Sept. 13 — and that he’s using clear milestones to stay motivated.
“I think that’s kind of pushed me through some of those mental hurdles,” Mahomes said.
He also credited his wife, Brittany Mahomes, and their children for helping him stay grounded.
“I think that’s been good for my mental, just being around the kids and being around the family,” he said. “And have a lot of great people around me.”
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