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Patrick Mahomes participates in 'light practice,' but still in concussion protocol
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is progressing after suffering a concussion Sunday, but head coach Andy Reid told reporters on Wednesday that he’s still in the concussion protocol. Until Mahomes makes it all the way through, the question of whether he’ll start against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday is still in the air.
Mahomes takes practice field after injury
Mahomes hit an important landmark Wednesday, practicing with his teammates for the first time since his head injury. Reid told reporters that it was a “light practice” and Mahomes “looked good.”
"He looked good. He's in the protocol, so there's only certain things that he can do, but today was a limited practice, so it fit right into what he could do. He took all the snaps and feels good. We're just going to follow the protocol."
- Coach Reid on Patrick Mahomes— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) January 20, 2021
The Chiefs’ Twitter page meanwhile posted video of Mahomes running a passing drill captioned “Championship game prep.” He was officially listed on the Chiefs’ injury report as “limited” at practice.
Championship game prep ⏰🐎 pic.twitter.com/5vxQvFXYhf
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 20, 2021
Reid declined to say where Mahomes is on the NFL’s five-step return-to-play protocol. The first few steps are focused on lighter exercise, but since he took snaps during practice, he could be on Step 3, which focuses on football specific exercise.
Thursday is ‘big day’
Reid didn’t say much about what will be expected of Mahomes over the next few days, but he did say that Thursday’s practice is the “big day.” That could mean that Mahomes is approaching the final steps of the protocol, which involve ramping up his practice intensity before he’s evaluated by several doctors to see if he’s fit to play.
Mahomes’ concussion came in the third quarter of the divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns. He was replaced by backup Chad Henne after he left the game, and did not return. After the Chiefs secured the win, Reid was generally optimistic about Mahomes’ condition and his response to the initial tests.
If Mahomes is unable to play on Sunday, Henne would start in his place.
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