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By Megan Armstrong
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes just tweeted his signature clock emoji. For nearly a decade now, that has meant one thing: Mahomes has clocked what has been said about him and is now clocking in to wreak absolute havoc on his doubters.
In the literal sense, Mahomes' tweet came shortly after he met with Kansas City media and disclosed that he's "fully cleared" to fully participate in training camp — just seven months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL. The two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion said he received medical clearance from Dr. Dan Cooper earlier this week.
"This is just another checkpoint on the schedule," Mahomes said. "You have to continue to work. It's not like it's over, and I'm just gonna be able to play a game tomorrow. You gotta continue to work and get better and better and go throughout practice and prove to the coaches, prove to the doctors, and everybody that I'm the same quarterback I was before, if not better."
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When asked specifically how he feels like a better player on the other side of the worst injury of his career, Mahomes said something that should scare everyone in the NFL:
"I feel stronger than I've ever felt.
"So now it's just about getting that quarterback stuff down — moving in the pocket quick, making those quick moments, reacting, and doing stuff like that.
"I felt like I wasn't playing my best football at the end of last year before I got hurt, and so I've gotta find ways to get better, navigating the pocket and running the offense better, and getting the ball out of hands, letting other guys make plays. I think this injury helped me focus on those little things as I get back to being who I am."
Mahomes asserted that he plans to "do everything I did before," though he doesn't plan on running nearly as much as he did last season.
The Chiefs won't need Mahomes to lead them in rushing after signing former Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP. In eight years as Chiefs QB1, Mahomes has never benefitted from a 1,000-yard rusher.
The Chiefs' top priority this offseason — as evidenced by signing Walker and reuniting with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy — was to create an offense less dependent on Mahomes constantly having to create something out of nothing. Mahomes magic will still likely be inevitable, however.
Mahomes won't be alone in his reasserting his dominance. It will be a pivotal season for the team as a whole — a fork in the road for the dynasty. The Chiefs finished 6-11 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Check out Mahomes' full presser below.
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