Chiefs News: Patrick Mahomes remains in concussion protocol
The biggest story in Chiefs news is obviously Patrick Mahomes and his status for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game vs Buffalo.
Chiefs Kingdom held their breath as Patrick Mahomes was hit hard by Mack Wilson of the Browns and looked woozy as he got to his feet. Mahomes jogged to the locker room on his own but didn’t re-enter the game after he exited in the third quarter.
It’s never good when a quarterback gets injured, but the Kansas City Chiefs absolutely cannot afford to lose Mahomes in any capacity. Chad Henne stepped in and did enough to get KC the win, but the Bills are going to be a much tougher opponent, and having Mahomes on the gridiron is key to punching a ticket to the Super Bowl.
As of now, Mahomes is still in concussion protocol, though he has made some strides. Adam Schefter tweeted that Mahomes cleared some steps, but his status for Sunday’s game is still unknown.
Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes cleared certain steps Monday, “some big steps”, but he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol with what is considered a concussion and it’s too early to say that he definitely will play in Sunday’s conference championship vs. the Bills, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2021
Check out what’s trending in Chiefs news from around FanSided.
- Chad Henne proved to be more than just a game manager [Cameron Black, KC Kingdom]
- Chiefs hope Patrick Mahomes can practice soon [Matt Conner, Arrowhead Addict]
- Here’s an update on Patrick Mahomes and his status [Cole Thompson, FanSided]
Here’s what’s trending in Chiefs news from around the rest of the web.
- Mahomes may have tweaked nerve [Patrik Walker, CBS Sports]
- Mahomes clears steps, still in protocol [ESPN]
- Favre on Mahomes concussion: “This is a test for the NFL” [Mike Florio, Yahoo Sports]
Obviously, Chiefs fans want to see Mahomes out there for the AFC Championship Game on Sunday and there does appear to be optimism surrounding the situation. Something to keep in mind here, however, is the health of Mahomes moving forward.
Concussions are no joke and have led to several players opting to retire before they even hit the age of 30 (Chris Borland, Luke Kuechely, Andrew Luck to name a few). Mahomes getting hit like that is never a good thing and he’s a competitor, but the Chiefs can’t just throw him out there if he’s not ready to go. That could be detrimental to his long-term health.
dark. Next. Six Star Performances vs Browns in Divisional Round
The Chiefs are a better team when Mahomes is on the field, but hits like the one he took on Sunday can build over time and the Chiefs need to make sure they’re being smart about this. One game isn’t worth the health of their quarterback. As the article above mentions, this will be an interesting test for the NFL in handling one of the league’s biggest stars in a premier matchup.