Here is NFL’s five-step protocol for Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes to return from concussion
It was evident immediately that something was amiss.
After trying to rush for a first down in the third quarter of Sunday’s AFC Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes got to his feet but clearly had trouble standing.
Mahomes immediately left the field and the team announced the injury was ruled a concussion.
The Chiefs held on for a 22-17 win on Sunday and advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the third straight season.
Will Mahomes play? No one knows, of course, but the NFL has a five-step process for clearing a player to return to action.
This wording is directly from NFL.com:
- The player is prescribed rest until the signs and symptoms and neurological examination, including cognitive and balance tests, return to baseline status.
- Under direct oversight of the team’s medical staff, the player should begin graduated cardiovascular exercise and may also engage in dynamic stretching and balance training.
- The player continues with graduated cardiovascular exercises that are increased and may mimic sport-specific activities, and supervised strength training is introduced.
- The player continues cardiovascular, strength and balance training and participates in non-contact football activities (e.g. throwing, catching, running, and other position-specific activities.
- Upon clearance by the team physician for full football activity involving contact, the player must be examined by the Independent Neurological Consultant (INC) assigned to his club. If the INC concurs with the team physician that the player’s concussion has resolved, he may participate in the club’s next practice or game.
There is one more item of note from of the NFL.
This is in the NFL.com story on the protocol: “After a player has progressed through the five-step process, and is cleared for full participation by his club physician, he must be seen and separately cleared by an Independent Neurological Consultant (INC), jointly approved by the NFL and NFLPA, who is not affiliated with any NFL club. Until cleared by this independent physician, a player may not return to contact practice or play in an NFL game.”
As the steps show, this is why each player who suffers a concussion has a different timetable for return.
This story was originally published January 17, 2021 at 5:06 PM.
