KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on Monday he did not know if Patrick Mahomes would erase the NFL’s concussion protocol in time to play in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. But Reid indicated that Mahomes may have felt well enough to return to Sunday’s divisional round game.
After being hit and knocked to the ground, Mahomes got up and staggered for a moment. He then headed for a brief examination in the medical tent on the sidelines, then quickly ran down a flight of stairs and then ran through the Arrowhead Stadium tunnel to the Chiefs’ locker room.
“There was a chance back the day Patrick comes back in [the game], ” Said Reid. “You saw him running through the tunnel. By the time he got there, he was feeling pretty good. But there is a certain protocol that you have to follow and that takes it from the trainer’s hand and the player’s hand and the doctor’s hand. ”
Mahomes was replaced in the third quarter by Chad Henne, who ended the Chiefs’ 22-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs will face the Buffalo Bills in Arrowhead in the AFC title game on Sunday. Reid said they would have a plan whether to start Mahomes or Henne as a quarterback now.
“Because of the protocol, it’s a no-brainer from a coaching standpoint,” said Reid. ‘You don’t have to think about it. You just have to go ahead and make sure you have an answer when it’s there and an answer when it’s not. I cannot tell you from a medical point of view. I do not know. That’s their decision and I’m just following it. ”