KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Heads coach Andy Reid said Monday he didn’t know if Patrick Mahomes would eliminate NFL concussion protocol in time to play next Sunday’s AFC championship game. But Reid indicated that Muhammad could have felt good enough to have returned to Sunday’s divisional round match.
After receiving a blow and falling to the ground, Muhammad stood up and momentarily staggered. He then went for a brief examination at the side medical store before quickly descending a series of steps and then running through the Arrowhead Stadium tunnel to the Chiefs ’locker room.
“There was a chance the day Patrick would come in again [the game]”Reid said.” You saw him running through the tunnel. When he got to this point, he felt pretty good. But there’s a certain protocol that you have to follow and that takes it out of the coach’s hand and the player’s hand and the doctor’s hand. “
Muhammad was replaced in the third quarter by Chad Henne, who finished with the Chiefs winning 22-17 over the Cleveland Browns.
The Chiefs face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Arrowhead in the AFC title game. Reid said they would have a plan if Muhammad or Henne start as quarterback.
“Because of the protocol, it’s not obvious from the coach’s point of view,” Reid said. “You don’t have to think about it. You just have to go ahead and make sure you have an answer if it’s there and an answer if it’s not there. I can’t say it from a medical point of view. I don’t know. That’s the his decision and I just follow it.