The Kansas City Chiefs are hoping to have their MVP quarterback under center Sunday when they face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. Patrick Mahomes practiced on Thursday, but he was limited and remains in concussion protocol after being injured last Sunday in the team’s win over Cleveland.
Coach Andy Reid told the media after Thursday’s practice that Mahomes took a majority of the snaps in practice and is moving around well. However, Reid declined to confirm where Mahomes was in the concussion protocol.
Until he passes through the independent concussion protocol, the reigning Super Bowl MVP will not be allowed to play on Sunday.
If Mahomes doesn’t clear protocol, the Chiefs will start Chad Henne at quarterback. Henne played a quarter and a half in the divisional round against Cleveland, completing 6-of-8 passes for 66 yards with an interception.
The Chiefs are three-point favorites against the Bills, and the total is 54 points. If Mahomes is ruled out, expect those numbers to change.
Former Packers GM Passes Away
With the Green Bay Packers (-3.5) preparing to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, the team announced Thursday that former general manage Ted Thompson passed away in Texas at the age of 68. Thompson drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2004, traded away Brett Favre in 2008 and was the mentor to current Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.
He also built the Packers’ most recent championship team that beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.
Thompson was the Packers general manager from 2005 to 2017, and he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in May 2019. He announced then that he was suffering from a disorder that gave him cognitive issues and overall weakness.
Thompson worked as a Packers scout from 1992 to 1999 before going to Seattle to build a Super Bowl team with former Packers coach Mike Holmgren.
Rodgers was Thompson’s first draft pick, but not his only selection who will be on the field Sunday. Thompson also drafted wide receiver Davante Adams, running back Aaron Jones, center Corey Linsley, kicker Mason Crosby, defensive tackle Kenny Clark and injured All-Pro offensive tackle David Bakhtiari.
New Hires Around the League
While four teams are left with Super Bowl aspirations, 28 teams are already looking toward the 2021 season, and that means new coaches and executives are being hired daily. On Thursday, the Detroit Lions officially introduced new head coach Dan Campbell.
Also, the Washington Football Team hired Martin Mayhew as general manager, and the Philadelphia Eagles selected Nick Sirianni to be their new head coach.
The Lions introduced Campbell on Thursday, and his first press conference was rather entertaining. The former New Orleans Saints tight ends coach gave a nearly 20-minute opening statement and referenced the movie The Big Lebowski, telling his agent to convince the team he was Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and talked about biting the kneecaps off opponents.
Campbell knows about the Lions’ struggles, as he was on their 0-16 team in 2008 and spent three seasons in Detroit.
The Washington Football Team hired Mayhew away from the San Francisco 49ers to be their new general manager. Mayhew was the Detroit Lions general manager from 2008 to 2015 after five seasons as an assistant.
After the Lions, he worked for the New York Giants as the director of football operations in 2016 and spent four seasons in San Francisco’s front office.
The Eagles fired Doug Pederson after a 4-11-1 season, just three seasons after he led the franchise to their first Super Bowl title. Sirianni was the offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts this season and has experience with the Chiefs (2009-12), Chargers (2013-17) and Colts (2018-20).
The 39-year-old worked under Frank Reich in Indianapolis, and Reich was an Eagles assistant before becoming a head coach.
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