Kansas City Chiefs starting CB L’Jarius Sneed suffered a concussion during the opening defensive snaps of the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The team managed to win the game without him on the field, but they’re hopeful that he can return to play for Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Sneed went through stretches and warm-ups during the portion of Thursday’s practice open to members of the media. Find photographic evidence from the KC Star’s Jesse Newell down below:
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney were off to the side at practice today. L’Jarius Sneed went through stretches. pic.twitter.com/Q38wPXTrWu
— Jesse Newell (@jessenewell) February 2, 2023
This suggests that Sneed is progressing through the league’s concussion protocol, strengthening his chances to play in the Super Bowl. What does Sneed need to accomplish in order to be cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol and play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 12?
There are five steps that he’ll need to go through as part of the NFL’s return-to-participation protocols. The goal of all of these five phases is to ensure that Sneed’s neurocognitive state returns to baseline functionality, at which point he could return to play. After he goes through these five steps, an INC (Independent Neurotrauma Consultant) will also have to clear him for play.
Remember, the NFL’s return-to-participation protocol lede states that every concussion is unique. That means there is no set timetable for Sneed’s return. He’ll progress through the league’s protocols at the pace necessary.
Let’s take a look at each of the five phases and what they entail for Sneed as the team gets ready for the Super Bowl: