Chiefs’ Mahomes clears concussion protocol, set to play
Kansas City Chiefs quar- terback 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.” 49ERS GETTING PICKS FOR LOSING MAYHEW >> San Francisco is set to receive a compensatory third-round pick in 2023 after former 49ers personnel chief Martin Mayhew was named the general manager of the Washington Football Team.
New additions to the Rooney Rule stipulate that if a team loses an executive of color to a promotion elsewhere, the club receives a draft-pick compensation.
Mayhew, who is Black, spent four years in the 49ers’ front office, the last two of which were as vice president of player personnel.
The Niners were already slated for compensatory picks in the 2021 and 2022 drafts as former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is Arab-American, was hired as the New York Jets’ new head coach.
Initially, it was unclear whether the 49ers would receive the pick for Mayhew because Washington was reportedly set to hire both Mayhew and Marty Hurney, the former Panthers general manager, to frontoffice jobs. If Mayhew did not take a step up to general manager, the 49ers would not have received the pick — but with Friday’s announcement, the pick is secured. BUCS’ VEA ACTIVATED; BROWN TO SIT>> The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bolstered their 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, had been sidelined since October with a broken ankle. He resumed practicing this week and will be available this weekend against the Green Bay Packers.
Coach Bruce Arians said receiver Antonio Brown, who had been day-to-day with a knee injury, will not play in the NFC title game. BILLS’ DAVIS, BUTLER QUESTIONABLE>> Buffalo was uncertain whether receiver Gabriel Davis will be available to play in the AFC title game at Kansas City on Sunday. Davis and defensive tackle Vernon Butler were listed as questionable after returning to practice on a limited basis. NOTES>> Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald retired after eight seasons. ... Chicago promoted safeties coach Sean Desai to replace retired defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.