‘This Is a Test for the NFL:’ Brett Favre Preaches Caution on Mahomes’ Return from Concussion

The best thing for the Kansas City Chiefs and the best thing for the NFL and their struggling television ratings is for Pat Mahomes to play football on Sunday.

But that’s not necessarily the best thing for Pat Mahomes.

Hall of Fame legend Brett Favre, a man who knows more than anyone else about playing through injury. Favre sees the handling of Mahomes’ concussion as a “test for the NFL.”

“I played 321 straight games, it kind of goes against everything I stood for when I played,” Favre told TMZ. “But you’ve gotta be smart. You’ve gotta be smart. I was never faced with the decision that he potentially will face this week. And ultimately the decision may fall on the doctors. And if they choose that he doesn’t play, then it’s the right move, because of the long-term damage.

“This is a test for the NFL, right now,” Favre said. “To see a star player in a crucial, crucial game, what will happen with their decision. . . . The protocol’s in place. Let’s see if they follow it.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid drew a sharp distinction between how the league handles concussions now, as opposed to when he played.

“There was a chance back in the day that Patrick comes back in [the game],” Reid said. “You saw him run up the tunnel. By the time he got to that point, he was feeling pretty good. But there’s a certain protocol you have to follow and that takes it out of the trainer’s hand and the player’s hand and the doctor’s hand.”

The final call on whether Mahomes can play will come down to an independent neurologist. The neurologist is “independent” from the Chiefs, who obviously have a vested interest in Mahomes playing. Though, not independent from the NFL who also has a vested interest in Mahomes playing.

And of course, Mahomes will want to play.