I had my ACL surgery when i was 27, 3 years younger than Mahomes. I'm sure in 20+ years they've made advancements in the procedure...and of course PM is an elite athlete...i'm a weekend warrior.
But here is what my surgeon told me: Your repaired ligament will be good to go immediately after the surgery. In fact your repaired knee will be stronger, ligament wise, than your other knee.
Rehab is all about two things really:
1) Getting over the intrusion of the surgery itself, the healing of the wound, removal of the staples and drain, the reduction of the swelling, etc. This process simply takes time. WHile you can't do a LOT to rehab during this time, you CAN do things. My surgeon told me to ditch my crutches as soon as possible and to start walking on the leg. Rehab at this point involves some light, non impact work like an elliptical machine....and, as the swelling starts to ebb, straightening of the leg. I'm getting sweats just thinking about this part because post-op is very painful for this surgery....and your leg has no desire to be straightened....so they strapped my leg down and straightened it that way. I took a swing at the guy it was so painful...happens all the time he said. PM's elite athleticism should help this phase.....he's a fast healer by all accounts. I heard some people are surprised that he's starting rehab as early as tomorrow....but that is exactly what I did as well.
2) Once the pain and swelling has subsided enough, they get you up and on that leg and working it out as much as you can. The point now is not to strengthen the ligaments....like i said, those were ready day 1 from post op...it's to rebuild the muscle mass that was lost during the weeks you were off that leg. This is the piece that takes the most time...it's also the piece that Mahomes tenacity should really benefit him. I did this rehab for many months. Can't remember exactly when i was ready to go back out and start playing basketball again...but I think i waited a full year.
The final hurdle is mental. I wore a knee brace for several YEARS after the surgery....mostly just for the mental side of it, helping me trust that leg again.
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My bet is for PM to be ready to play on opening day of 2026, some time in September...a full 9 months after the surgery.
Anything to add or correct here Doc?