New York: NFL Week 15 delivered thrilling comebacks and headline-grabbing performances, but the excitement was quickly overshadowed by devastating injury news involving two of the league’s biggest superstars — Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons.
Within a span of just a few hours on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and the Dallas Cowboys’ elite edge rusher both suffered serious knee injuries, sending shockwaves through the league and its fanbase.
Mahomes, Parsons Suffer Season-Ending ACL Tears
The first major blow came when Patrick Mahomes was forced off the field after suffering a torn ACL. Soon after, Micah Parsons sustained a similar injury, compounding what became one of the most unfortunate days of the 2025 NFL season.
Medical evaluations later confirmed fans’ worst fears — both players tore their ACLs, an injury that is almost always season-ending in football, particularly this late in the year.
While ACL injuries are not uncommon in the NFL, the timing of these setbacks — in Week 15 — raises serious questions about recovery timelines and availability for the 2026 season.
ACL Recovery Timeline: When Could They Return?
Traditionally, an ACL tear meant a 12-month recovery period before returning to game action. However, advancements in sports medicine and rehabilitation have helped some players shorten that timeline.
A recent example is Stefon Diggs, who tore his ACL on October 27, 2024, and was fully cleared for training camp participation by July 22, 2025 — a recovery of just under nine months.
Applying a similar timeline to Mahomes and Parsons, who were injured on December 14, 2025, would place a potential return around mid-September 2026, which coincides with Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.
Even that scenario may be optimistic.
Week 1 of 2026 in Doubt
Given the importance of Mahomes to the Chiefs and Parsons to the Cowboys, both franchises are expected to take a cautious approach with rehabilitation. A delayed return — or limited early-season workload — appears far more likely than a full Week 1 comeback.
If recovery stretches closer to the traditional 11–12 month window, either star could miss a significant portion of the 2026 season, a nightmare scenario for their teams and fans alike.
A Brutal Blow to the NFL
Losing two generational talents on the same day is a rare and painful occurrence for the league. As the offseason approaches, Chiefs and Cowboys fans will be closely monitoring every medical update, hoping for positive news on two of the NFL’s most valuable knees.
