Edelman cleared

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman passed a concussion test after a hit in the Super Bowl appeared to leave him groggy, allowing him to continue and catch the winning touchdown a few minutes later, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

Edelman was leveled by Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor after a 21-yard completion with just under 11 minutes left in New England’s 28-24 victory over Seattle on Sunday night.

After that series, Edelman was checked on the New England sideline by medical staff and an independent neurologist and cleared to return, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

Under the NFL’s concussion protocol, team doctors are ultimately responsible for diagnosing concussions and deciding whether to allow players to return to games, though independent neurologists help on sidelines and unaffiliated athletic trainers review replays to help recognize potential injuries.

Before a player can return to a game, teams are required to complete a twopage sideline assessment, looking for obvious signs of a concussion and testing other things like orientation, concentration and recall. The protocol is then compared with baseline tests taken in the preseason.

Edelman missed the last two regular-season games with a concussion and led the team with 92 receptions. He played in all three postseason games and led the Patriots with 109 yards on nine catches in the Super Bowl.