KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu left the AFC Divisional round win against the Buffalo Bills on the opening drive.
After being looked at by the Chiefs’ training staff in the blue medical tent on the sideline, Mathieu retreated to the locker room for further examination.
Initially, the Chiefs announced that Mathieu was being evaluated for a concussion.
During the second quarter, the team said he was officially in the concussion protocol and would not return.
It was a big blow to the Chiefs' defense.
“Anytime you lose a player of Tyrann’s caliber, your team is going to be affected,” defensive end Frank Clark said. “He leads us in so many different ways on and off the field. It’s his presence alone. He doesn’t even have to say a word.”
Daniel Sorenson replaced Mathieu in Kansas City’s lineup.
Mathieu, who tied for third on the Chiefs with 76 tackles during the regular season, is a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection in three seasons with Kansas City.
"It feels great that we were able to get the job done without him," Clark said. "I'm sure he's happy that next week he'll be able to come back and show off and do all the things that Tyrann does."
Mathieu's status will have to be monitored during the week to see if he's available for the AFC Championship Game against Cincinnati at 2:05 p.m. next Sunday on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
