Speaking to TMZ, former Green Bay Packers and current Hall of Famer Brett Favre — who suffered numerous concussions during his playing career, in which he started an astonishing NFL-record 297 consecutive games — had some advice for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a nasty concussion in Sunday’s AFC Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns.
Favre told Megyn Kelly in 2018 that he thought he had suffered “probably thousands” of concussions while playing football.
Knowing the Chiefs have a crucial playoff game in the AFC Championship this weekend against the Buffalo Bills, Favre cautioned Mahomes, “When you’re in the moment, and you’re young, you’re bulletproof, man. I’m 51 years old and I’m wondering what tomorrow will bring because of concussions more than anything.”
Favre also stated, “This is a test for the NFL right now. To see a star player in a crucial, crucial game: what will happen with their decision?”
Favre began, “You know, concussions kind of took a back seat with COVID. And quite frankly, it took a star player, the player that the NFL is riding right now, to get hurt to kind of bring concussions back to the forefront. They’re not going away. We’ve had this conversation before; they’re not going away. They’re extremely dangerous. We’re just finding out we’re just scraping the surface about what it does to the brain, and it’s not good.”
“I hate it for Patrick. The protocol’s in place; let’s see if they follow it,” Favre continued. “I love (Chiefs coach) Andy Reid. I always want him to succeed. He may have to do it next week without Patrick, cause that would — who knows what level of concussion he had? Was it extreme? It didn’t look good at all. You hate to see it because long-term damage can be very awful for any player.”
The TMZ interviewer commented, “This is an independent neurologist having to clear him. Even if he feels like he can play but they don’t clear him, he’s not gonna play next week.”
Favre replied, “I can promise you because I’ve been there: He’s gotta feel absolutely 100% ready to play. And if he has — just say he has a headache on Friday but the previous three or four days he’s fine, is he gonna tell ’em? I doubt it. He wants to play.”
Favre recalled, “For years, up until 10 years ago there was no protocol in place. Once you felt better, which could have been three or four hours, you were back out playing. That’s not the case anymore. He will want to play whether or not he passes the baseline tests that he took initially, and the doctors feel he’s able.”
Favre stated bluntly: “This is a test for the NFL right now. To see a star player in a crucial, crucial game: what will happen with their decision?”
TMZ asked, “What would you say to Patrick?”
“You know, I played 321 straight games, it kind of goes against everything I stood for when I played,” Favre answered. “But, you gotta be smart. You 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 that’s the right move because of the long-term damage.”
Pointing out the tendency of the young to believe they’re invincible, Favre stated, “And when you’re in the moment, and you’re young, you’re bulletproof, man. I’m 51 years old and I’m wondering what tomorrow will bring because of concussions more than anything. What’s Patrick, 24 or 25?”
“I had it all figured out,” he concluded. “So I just urge him and all players to be extremely smart.”