Patrick Mahomes Returns From ACL Tear to Face Former College Teammate Davis Webb

Patrick Mahomes is officially returning to the field tonight, exactly nine months to the day after tearing his ACL. That is not a normal human recovery timeline. That is the kind of healing factor usually reserved for comic book characters or guys who lie about their age at the local YMCA.

The Kansas City Chiefs get their franchise back under center for an AFC West clash against the Denver Broncos. For anyone trying to figure out how this offense will look out of the gate, the market is going to be heavily weighing whether Mahomes still has that signature out-of-structure mobility or if he is going to be playing strictly from the pocket.

"Adam Schefter noted that Mahomes returns nine months to the day of his injury, while Webb calls his first regular-season game."

But the most ridiculous part of this matchup is not just the medical marvel of the Chiefs quarterback. Across the field, the guy calling plays for the Broncos is Davis Webb. If that name sounds familiar, it is because Webb and Mahomes were in the exact same quarterback room at Texas Tech back in 2014 and 2015.

Think about that career divergence for a second. One guy went on to become the face of the NFL, collect a mountain of hardware, and return from major knee surgery in the time it takes to grow a human baby. The other guy is now wearing a headset, holding a laminated Denny's menu, and trying to figure out how to scheme open a tight end on third-and-long.

Webb is making his regular-season play-calling debut tonight. Going up against a Kansas City defense in your first real game as an offensive coordinator is like being asked to defuse a bomb for your driver's test. Bettors looking at the total for this game have to factor in a first-time play-caller trying to outsmart a championship-caliber unit.

We will find out very quickly if Mahomes is fully back to his alien self or if there is some early-season rust to shake off. Either way, the Texas Tech alumni association is having a massive night, even if one of them is going to leave the stadium significantly more stressed out than the other.