Chiefs WR Smith-Schuster placed in concussion protocol

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was seen laughing among teammates in the Kansas City locker room Sunday, shortly after he sustained a concussion during a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars that raised questions about how to police helmet-to-helmet hits. 

Smith-Schuster was coming across the middle to catch a pass from Patrick Mahomes when Cisco hit him high, drawing a flag from the officials. But while Smith-Schuster lay motionless on the Arrowhead Stadium turf, referee Brad Rogers picked up the flag and ruled that the hit was clean and there would be no penalty. 

“After discussion on the field,” Rogers said, “the two officials came in and determined that the defender had set and braced for impact and hit shoulder-to-shoulder. They didn't feel it was a use-of-helmet foul.” 

Yet replays that were on the video boards at each end of Arrowhead Stadium clearly showed that Cisco's helmet made contact with Smith-Schuster's head, and that contact more than his shoulder inflicted the damage.