Mahomes cleared for AFC title game; Bucs minus Brown in NFC

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 Buffalo 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.”

BUCS: Tampa Bay bolstered its defense for Sunday’s NFC championship game, activating nose tackle Vita Vea from the reserve/injured list. The third-year pro, one of the top run-stoppers in the NFL, has been sidelined since early October with a broken ankle. He resumed practicing with the team this week and will be available this weekend against the Green Bay Packers.

Coach Bruce Arians also said Friday that receiver Antonio Brown, who had been day-to-day with a knee injury, will not play in the NFC title game. Brown was hurt during last week’s divisional playoff victory over New Orleans.

PACKERS: Green Bay brought back veteran defensive back Tramon Williams and added him to its practice squad. The Packers (14-3) will host the Buccaneers (13-5) on Sunday in the NFC Championship game. Williams was waived by the Ravens on Monday.