Will Patrick Mahomes be back for AFC Championship Game vs. Bills?

Will Patrick Mahomes be back for AFC Championship Game vs. Bills?

On Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs lived through a nightmare of a game when star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was taken out of the game after a scary tackle left him visibly unwell and diagnosed with a concussion. He was removed from the game and thankfully, the Chiefs were able to hold on to their lead and move on to the conference championship.

But that leaves many of us wondering: Will Mahomes be back for AFC Championship Game versus the Buffalo Bills?

The answer isn’t all that easy to give unfortunately but the good news is it’s a maybe.

The protocol to return will depend on the severity of his concussion, which to the untrained eye, looked bad. He’ll have to go through daily clearances, light practice and eventually a full clearing before he can return to the field. That gives him seven days. And that gives us seven days to hold our breaths and wait.

That’s really all we can do right now. WAIT.

If you are curious what the NFL’s concussion protocol is, you can read it here in its entirety.

Here’s a brief breakdown of the five-steps Mahomes must go through to return to the AFC Championship Game vs. Bills

• Rest and Recovery
• Light Aerobic Exercise
• Continued Aerobic Exercise & Introduction of Strength Training
• Football Specific Activities
• Full Football Activity/Clearance

Like we said … it’s a maybe. If Mahomes can begin the five steps immediately, it’s possible. But it’s also highly likely that his injury will require more rest than the timeline allows and we need to remember that rest is given for a reason.

As much as we want Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game against Buffalo, his health is the most important thing.