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Patrick Surtain II spoke with reporters at the Broncos’ facility this week about the version of Patrick Mahomes that Denver will meet at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 14, two days short of nine months after the Chiefs quarterback had surgery on his left knee. Mahomes tore the ACL and LCL in that knee on Dec. 14 against the Chargers, taken down from behind on a scramble, and had surgery two days later in Dallas with Dr. Dan Cooper. He was initially told the recovery would run nine months. He has not missed a practice since being cleared for football work in July, and for the first time in his career he did not appear in a preseason game. “It’s really tough to tell ’cause coming off an injury like that, it’s pretty tough, but I don’t expect nothing less for him to be himself,” Surtain said. “I mean, obviously they might change the scheme up for him a little bit, not allow him to run as much, but like you said, to be more of a pocket passer, which he’s good at, so, it’s still Patrick Mahomes at the end of the day, so, we still gotta prepare and study for him like the years past, so, we’ll be ready.” Broncos CB Pat Surtain II, on what to expect from Chiefs Patrick Mahomes coming off the QB’s knee injury: “It’s really tough to tell ’cause coming off an injury like that, it’s pretty tough, but I don’t expect nothing less for him to be himself. I mean, obviously they might… pic.twitter.com/Zjxgg1sDIg — Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 5, 2026 Will Mahomes still run the way he used to? Mahomes carried 64 times for 422 yards in 14 games last season, and the play that ended his year came on a scramble outside the pocket. Andy Reid has not said publicly how much of that usage he intends to keep, and Surtain named the likely adjustment before Kansas City described one. Denver has more recent evidence on Mahomes than almost anyone, and all of it came against a healthy version. The Broncos swept the Chiefs last season for the first time since 2014, winning at home in Week 11 and again at Arrowhead on Christmas Day. They finished 14-3, took the AFC’s top seed and lost the AFC Championship Game 10-7 to New England after Bo Nix broke his right ankle on the last but one play of overtime in the divisional round win over Buffalo. Nix is back for this one, which makes Monday night the fourth meeting between him and Mahomes and the first with both quarterbacks coming off surgery. Kansas City finished 6-11, went 1-9 in one-score games and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Mahomes threw for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in those 14 games, well off the 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns he led the league with in 2022, so the question Surtain is preparing for was already open before the knee gave out. A plan built on keeping him in the pocket also runs into a Denver defense that has led the NFL in sacks in each of the last two seasons.