Chiefs’ Mahomes cleared to play
KANSAS CITY, MO. » Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was cleared Friday from the league’s concussion protocol after his third consecutive day of practice and will be under center when Kansas City plays the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game.
Mahomes was hurt in the third quarter of the Chiefs’ divisional-round win over Cleveland. He returned to take the majority of snaps in a light workout Wednesday, then did the same during the longest practice of the week Thursday, before team doctors and an independent neurologist gave him the green light following Friday’s workout.
“The week has been a bunch of testing, a bunch of different things, to make sure I’m good to go and there’s no lingering effects and things like that,” Mahomes said. “Everything has been good. I went through everything; three or four different doctors have said everything is looking good.”
Mahomes was second in the NFL with 4,740 yards passing this season, despite skipping the regular-season finale with the Chiefs already assured of the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
“I mean, he’s flying around as much as he can,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “I know that guy is a tough son-of-a-gun, and he’s going to go out there and try to get ready the way he knows how, which is take every rep as if it’s a game rep. And his attention to detail, his preparation throughout the week, that hasn’t changed. Just him playing within the guidelines he was given knowing he’s in the concussion protocol.”
Washington hires Mayhew as GM
Ron Rivera bulked up his front office, hiring Martin Mayhew to be Washington’s general manager and Marty Hurney to serve as executive vice president of football and player personnel.
The moves give Rivera two seasoned NFL executives to work with going into his second season coaching and running football operations.
Mayhew joins Washington after four seasons with the 49ers. Before that, he spent a year with the Giants and was GM of the Lions for seven-plus seasons.
He and Hurney will report directly to Rivera as part of the organization’s coach-centric front-office structure under owner Dan Snyder.