Patrick Mahomes returned from injury as the Kansas City Chiefs opened the season with a 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos.
Mahomes, who played his first game since suffering a serious knee injury, and new signing Kenneth Walker III both impressed on the floor as the Chiefs never trailed at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes underwent surgery in December to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, but showed few signs of concern during his return.
On his 10th snap, the quarterback sprinted from the pocket and dove into the end zone while being hit by two defenders to score a 15-yard touchdown.
“Going into the end zone, it kind of gave me confidence that I could go out there and be myself,” Mahomes said.
“I just wanted to play. I did a lot of rehab and a lot of work to put myself in this situation. I just wanted to go out and play.”
Walker stars in his Kansas City Chiefs debut
Walker, the Super Bowl MVP, was a breakout performer in his debut with the Chiefs after joining from the Seattle Seahawks.
He rushed for a career-high 173 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a stunning 60-yard run on fourth-and-inch early in the third quarter.
Across 26 touches, Walker produced 191 all-purpose yards and became the third player since 2000 to record at least 100 receiving yards in his Chiefs debut.
“It means a lot,” Walker said. “We just had to come out here and execute it and show it.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid praised the linebacker’s performance, saying: “For him to play the way he did, I thought it was amazing.”
