Latest NFL injury updates on Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix, Daniel Jones ahead of OTAs

The Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts do not want the injury status of their starting quarterbacks to dominate their respectice preseason news cycles. Unfortunately, that's the reality that each franchise faces. Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and Daniel Jones are all working hard to return from injury quickly enough to help their teams compete in Week 1.

Mahomes is the star of the trio and it's hard to imagine the Chiefs competing for a Super Bowl title without him playing at something approximating full health. Nix and Jones are both just as important for the potential successes of their teams. The Broncos saw how tough it was to win without Nix in last year's playoffs. The Colts' 2025 season fell off the rails when Jones went down with a torn Achilles in the middle of their regular season.

It would be a mistake for any team to rush their franchise quarterback back into action before their bodies are back to full health. Even so, fans of each squad should be locked into any injury updates they receive over the coming weeks.

When will Patrick Mahomes play for the Chiefs?

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid isn't giving reporters much concrete information on a return timeline for Mahomes. He did recently tell reporters that his star signal caller is working seven hours per day to get back into action.

NFL schedule makers are certainly hoping Mahomes gets back onto the field for the beginning of the year. They placed Kansas City on the primetime schedule for their first two games of the year. The Chiefs insist that wasn't based on any intelligence from the team, but it's not hard to see where Mahomes is trending.

Nothing is certain about Mahomes at the moment, but Chiefs fans should be encouraged. Their best player is making progress and working diligently. All of that bodes well for him being available early in the year.

Bo Nix is an excellent bet to be the Broncos' Week 1 starter

Nix is the quarterback scheduled to take on the Chiefs in the Week 1 primetime matchup. He is coming back from an ankle fracture but is expected to participate in some measure of Denver's preseason program.

Don't look for the Broncos to rush him back into anything before his ankle is fully healed. They know just how important the young passer is to their offensive success. Preseason reps might help him get even more comfortable with Sean Payton's offense, but that's not going to lead them to rush him back into action.

Broncos fans should feel good about Nix being their Week 1 starter unless another injury besets their No. 1 quarterback later in the preseason. He should be ready to build rapport with new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle well before the regular season begins.

Daniel Jones is making progress, but may have the longest recovery road ahead

Colts fans were dreaming of Super Bowl contention before Jones went down to injury last December. Those same fans had every right to be encouraged when they learned the veteran signal caller was already back on the field throwing the football at the end of April.

There is still a wide gap between being back on grass throwing and being ready to compete in a meaningful NFL game. Recovering from a torn Achilles is an intense process for any professional athlete. Jones is making solid progress, but it will be difficult to really judge how much progress he's made until he can participate in some measure of Indianapolis' preseason program.

The more conservative path for the Colts would be to start the season with Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson as their starter. That would buy Jones a few extra weeks to strengthen his ankle ligaments. Even if that happens, fans in Indianapolis should be cautiously optimistic about how Jones' rehab is progressing.

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