During a recent episode of ‘Good Morning Football,’ former defensive end turned TV analyst Isaac Rochell shared his prediction that Mahomes will return in 2026 with immediate success, culminating in being named Comeback Player of the Year.
“I’m picturing our boy Patrick Mahomes to be Comeback Player of the Year,” Rochell stated. “I think this is going to be a situation where we have prime Mahomes. The biggest piece of this that nobody’s talking about, and should be all we talk about, is the fact that (Eric) Bieniemy is back,” said Rochell. “Bieniemy is such a big piece of this offense, and sideline, and culture of the football team. As the offensive coordinator, he changes the whole energy. If you look at the sideline of the Chiefs last year, you could feel there was a disconnect. It wasn’t as tight as it had been in the past with Bieniemy, with guys (being) focused. Bieniemy’s coming back, the energy’s back, and Mahomes is going to be locked in. Everything that happened last year with the Chiefs, I’m not worried about it.”
Mahomes surprised many with a video of himself returning to the field for throwing drills, a little over 100 days after his injury. He believes he can return before Week 1 after surgery to repair his ACL and LCL, which he had last December. The two-time league MVP and multiple-time Super Bowl MVP could be in line for the prestigious comeback award in 2026.
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Mahomes finished the 2025 season with 22 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions in 14 games before the knee injury. He also rushed for 422 yards and five touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: NFL Analyst predicts first-time honor for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes