Patrick Mahomes Has Limited Cell Service at Camp, but Says He Has to ‘Make Sure’ He Texts Wife Brittany

Patrick Mahomes prioritizes texting his wife Brittany during training camp

The Chiefs quarterback credits his family and teammates for helping him stay grounded during his recovery journey

Head coach Andy Reid praised Mahomes' dedication to rehab after his season-ending ACL injury last December

Patrick Mahomes has his priorities in order.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, 30, explained at a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 25 that his phone time is limited during training camp , but that he always makes time to send a text to his wife, Brittany .

The topic arose when Mahomes was asked by a reporter if he's been texting Zach Ertz , the Washington Commanders tight end who the Chiefs QB previously praised for helping him through his ACL recovery, and Mahomes joked that the cell service in the cinderblock dorms they live in during training camp isn't up to par.

"I haven't been texting him during camp. I've been locked in throughout camp, but I know he's still working," Mahomes said of Ertz, who also suffered an ACL injury, one week before the Chiefs star. "I saw him throwing... I know he's working too."

"St. Joe's dorm rooms, man, you don't get a lot of text messages," Mahomes said of the rooms at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo., where they spend training camp. "I just try to make sure I text Brittany. If I text Brittany, I'm usually in a good spot."

On Aug. 5, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the playcaller is spending " seven hours a day " working on his recovery since his injury. "He just goes. He kept playing, he gets his rehab taken care of before and after practice, you know how he is — he's all in," Reid, 68, told CBS Sports at the team's training camp.

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"He's a great example to all the other guys around him that, 'I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to get myself on the field,' " Reid continued, noting that he and the organization make sure to "monitor" their star quarterback and work with medical staff to make sure he doesn't overdo it.

Patrick spoke with PEOPLE ahead of his return to the field for his 10th season in the NFL, and credited the people close to him — including his wife, Brittany, and their three children — for keeping him levelheaded during his recovery.

"Football is a huge part of my life, but I've always tried to keep perspective," Mahomes told PEOPLE. "Family, friends, my teammates, my foundation work, those things have always been important to me."

He added, "During the season you're so locked in, so having that time to slow down, be present with the kids, and just enjoy the people around you makes it special."

"I want to be the best for my family, my teammates, the kids who look up to this game," said the quarterback, who is looking to rebound after a disappointing 6-11 campaign last year that saw the Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

"When I think about why I go out there and put in the work every single day, it's about being the best version of myself every single day so that I can have no regrets for how I played this game and went about my business," he said.