Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes left Sunday’s playoff division game against the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter due to a concussion, and he did not return. The Chiefs won and will face Buffalo Bills next week, but it could be without Mahomes.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on Monday morning that Mahomes entered the NFL’s concussion protocol.
This means that Mahomes will have to meet certain benchmarks before being released to resume practicing or playing. Although coach Andy Reid told the media on Sunday that Mahomes hit the back of the head, he was more optimistic about Mahomes’ condition.
“He was hit in the back of the head and it kind of took his breath away and all that,” said Reid. “He’s doing really well now, which is very positive when we look at it. He approved all the deals he needed to be approved, so we’ll see where he goes from here.”
What are the steps in the return to game protocol?
Reid’s view of Mahomes’ condition is good news, but the NFL return to game protocol doesn’t have a timetable, and that’s for a reason. Concussion symptoms do not always appear immediately. The player must progress through the protocol steps at his own pace.
Here are the five steps in the protocol that Mahomes will have to go through before he is released to return to full contact practice or play a game.
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Symptom of limited activity: The player will be instructed to rest and limit any activities that aggravate concussion symptoms. Light aerobic exercise, stretching and balance training can be introduced if the player can tolerate it.
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Aerobic exercise: Cardiovascular exercises are introduced under the direct supervision of the team’s medical team, as well as dynamic stretching and balance training. Neurocognitive and balance tests can be done and the results should be back to baseline.
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Specific football exercise: The player can participate in more strenuous cardiovascular exercises, supervised strength training and can simulate specific sports activities. They can participate in 30 minutes of sport-specific exercises with the team under close monitoring.
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Club-based contactless training exercises: All cardiovascular activities, stretching, balance training and sport-specific activities can continue, and non-contact football exercises are introduced. The player can engage in playing, catching, running and other position-specific activities. This is the last neurocognitive step and the balance test can be done and the results should be back to baseline.
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Complete football activity / authorization: In the final stage, the player needs to be evaluated by two different doctors. First, the team doctor must release the player for full contact football activities. Then, the player must be evaluated by an independent neurological consultant assigned to his team, which has been jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA. If the independent neurologist agrees with the team doctor’s assessment, the player can return to practice and participate in the team’s next game.
The Chiefs are scheduled to return to training on Wednesday, and it is entirely possible that Mahomes will return to training in some way at that time, but it will all depend on how he responds in the coming days. There is a chance that he will be released to return in time for Sunday’s game, but we will all have to wait and see.
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