Robert Griffin III knows better than most how quickly a knee injury can change everything.
So when RGIII suggested that Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons should consider sitting out the entire 2026 season after suffering ACL tears on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday, it wasn’t some hot-take grab for attention. It was coming from experience — painful experience.
“The number one advice I would give to Micah Parsons and Patrick Mahomes right now is to not play next year,” Griffin said. “And it’s because of when they got hurt. They both got hurt in December.”
“It would be nine months if they were ready to go Week 1,” Griffin said. “But you don’t really feel like yourself until about 15 months after the injury. And some guys will even tell you, ‘It took me 24 months to truly feel like myself again.’”
Griffin tore his ACL and LCL during his rookie season, rushed back, and never truly looked the same. The athleticism, confidence and rhythm that once defined his game never fully returned. That perspective shapes how he views late-season knee injuries, especially ones that leave little room for a clean, stress-free rehab timeline.
From that angle, his caution makes sense.
Why RGIII’s warning isn’t wrong
Mahomes didn’t just tear his ACL — he also damaged his LCL. For a quarterback whose greatness is built on movement, balance and off-platform throws, returning even slightly compromised carries real risk. Being medically cleared isn’t the same as feeling like yourself, something RGIII has repeatedly emphasized for years.
The same logic applies to Parsons, maybe even more so. Edge rushers rely on sudden explosion and violent change of direction. One hesitation planting the knee or a half-step lost off the snap can turn an elite pass rusher into merely a good one. At that position, there’s very little margin for error.
From a long-term health standpoint, RGIII’s advice holds weight. Extra recovery time can mean fewer setbacks, better performance down the line and a cleaner return overall.
But football rarely works that way.
Mahomes and Parsons aren’t wired to wait. They’re franchise pillars, hyper-competitive and conditioned to push limits. Sitting out an entire season — even if it’s the “smart” option — runs counter to everything that got them here.
Mahomes, in particular, has little incentive to take a full year off unless his body forces the issue. Kansas City’s entire operation revolves around him, and history shows elite quarterbacks can return from ACL injuries and still perform at a high level, even if it takes time to regain peak form. The Chiefs will manage his workload, protect him schematically and trust that even a less-than-perfect Mahomes still gives them a chance every week.
Parsons is cut from the same cloth. He won’t be content watching from the sideline while his prime years pass by. Green Bay didn’t bring him in to be cautious — they brought him in to be disruptive. That alone makes a full-season absence unlikely.
The most realistic outcome sits somewhere in the middle. Both Mahomes and Parsons probably return in 2026, just not as flawless versions of themselves right away. There may be rust. There may be weeks where they don’t look quite like the superstars fans expect.
That’s the part RGIII understands better than anyone.
His message isn’t that they won’t be back — it’s that coming back too soon can leave lasting consequences. And while Mahomes and Parsons will almost certainly push that boundary, the league will be watching closely to see whether RGIII’s caution proves prophetic or simply conservative.
Either way, his perspective isn’t reckless. It’s informed — even if the stars ultimately choose a different path.