How Patrick Mahomes survived a torn ACL only to face a brand new threat from inside his own offensive line

Patrick Mahomes is back. Nine months after tearing his ACL against the Chargers, he is set to start for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. For most quarterbacks, surviving that injury and returning in under a year would be the story. For Mahomes, it is only the beginning of a much messier situation. Because the bigger concern right now is not what happened to him last December. It is what could happen to him this September, courtesy of the man assigned to protect his blindside.Is Josh Simmons' blocking technique putting Patrick Mahomes at risk?The short answer is yes, and it is not just fan speculation. Danny Heifetz of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show put it bluntly on September 7. "I think Patrick Mahomes is gonna tear his ACL again," Heifetz said on the podcast. His reasoning had two layers. The first is that nine months is about the fastest any quarterback has returned from an ACL tear with any real success, raising questions about whether Mahomes is truly ready or simply determined to be.The second layer is more specific and more troubling. Left tackle Josh Simmons uses a blocking move known as the snatch technique, where he grabs a pass rusher by the shoulder pads and whips him down and to the left. Under normal circumstances, it is an aggressive, effective move. But with Mahomes standing in the pocket behind him, that defender gets thrown directly into the quarterback's legs."Gonna [throw] him into [Mahomes'] legs," co-host Danny Kelly noted during the same podcast discussion.What makes this more than just broadcast commentary is who else is raising the alarm. Mitchell Schwartz, the former Chiefs right tackle who was arguably their best offensive lineman during their first Super Bowl run, has repeatedly flagged the issue on social media. Heifetz confirmed this on air, saying Schwartz "just keeps posting on Twitter that Josh Simmons should not be using that technique because eventually Patrick Mahomes will be there, and he's gonna be in the pocket more this season because of the [lack of] mobility."That last part is critical. Mahomes coming off an ACL tear is not the same Mahomes who could scramble out of danger on instinct. He will take longer to process, longer to move, and will stay in the pocket far more than usual. Which means any defender landing near his legs is not a near-miss. It is a direct threat.Does the Chiefs' offense have enough around Mahomes to carry this season?Simmons' blocking habits are one problem. His availability is another. The 2025 first-round pick missed nine games during his rookie season and is now dealing with a back injury that kept him out of practice and could sideline him for the Week 1 opener against Denver entirely. If that happens, an undrafted rookie free agent steps in to guard the most important player on the field.Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer raised the broader offensive concern on Monday, questioning whether Kansas City invested enough this offseason to actually support Mahomes. The Chiefs poured resources into defense while banking on two high-risk, high-reward draft picks to carry the offense."What could determine it largely rests on two guys the Chiefs took risks on in the draft," Breer wrote. "They have very high ceilings and, as we've seen, very low floors: left tackle Josh Simmons and receiver Rashee Rice. If those guys are playing to their potential, Kansas City could have another Super Bowl team on its hands. If they're unavailable or in disrepair for large chunks of the season, the likelihood of that is lessened."Rice brings his own injury history. Simmons brings a back problem and a blocking tendency that worries former offensive linemen who know exactly what those moves do to a quarterback's knees. And Mahomes, for all his greatness, is walking into Sunday carrying a rebuilt knee and reduced mobility.The Chiefs did not just need their left tackle healthy. They needed him smart. Right now, they might not have either.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.