Patrick Mahomes practicing again on Thursday Posted by Josh Alper on January 21, 2021, 1:12 PM EST
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is back on the practice field on Thursday.
Reporters at the open portion of Chiefs practiced shared word and images of Mahomes going through the session with his helmet on. Word from the team about his participation level will come later in the day.
There was some uncertainty about how much Mahomes practiced on Wednesday as the Chiefs changed his listing from full to limited participation, but he was on the field a few days after being forced out of a playoff win over the Browns. Mahomes is in the concussion protocol and has a toe injury as well.
Back-to-back days of on-field work is a good sign for Mahomes’ chances of clearing the protocol and playing against the Bills...
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Sounds like he has progressed through stage four at this point.
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Patrick Mahomes in NFL concussion protocol: What needs to happen for Chiefs star to play against Bills
... he must pass through the same five-step process to be cleared for a return.
What are those steps?
The first thing you should know is that prior to the season, every NFL player takes neurological and balancing tests when in a noninjured state to provide a "normal" score. Those results can later be used to help diagnose a concussion, and to determine when a player's neurological activity and balance has returned to its previous state following a brain injury. The five steps are:
Step 1: Based on symptoms, the player can engage in light stretching, balance training and eventually progress to light aerobic exercise.
Step 2: The player can graduate toward cardiovascular exercise and dynamic stretching, and then take neurological and balance tests. He can pass through this step once those test results match his baseline scores.
Step 3: The player can move toward a limited amount of football-specific exercise. That includes up to 30 minutes of practice time, under the supervision of an athletic trainer.
Step 4: Football activities can increase to noncontact drills such as throwing and running. Another set of tests must again show baseline results.
Step 5: This requires the team doctor to clear the player for contact. Once that happens, the player must be examined by an independent neurological consultant (INC). If the "INC" affirms the team doctor's decision, the player is cleared to practice full and play in the team's next game.