And it would be highly unlikely that a player suffering a concussion last Sunday would be in a position to play in a way that wouldn’t put him significantly at risk for greater brain injury.

So that leaves two possibilities: (1) he didn’t suffer a concussion last week, but suffered an injury that had similar symptoms as a concussion, hence the reason he was put in the concussion protocol and the reason he was able to exit the concussion protocol so quickly; or

(2) the NFL and the Chiefs are willing to play fast and loose with the health guidelines because of the high profile nature of the game on Sunday.

I personally believe that the first is the most likely explanation, but there is a possibility, albeit with a low probability, that the second is true.

So, back to your original question, “is there a reason he shouldn’t be cleared to play?”. Yes, there most definitely is a reason. If he really did have a concussion, then having him play this weekend puts a serious question mark on how he was able to clear concussion protocol so quickly. Even just the fact that he participated in practice on Wednesday is a hyper-quick return to physical activity after a concussion, especially given the symptoms that were apparent to everyone watching as he stood up like a punch-drunk boxer.

A reasonable explanation for why he returned so quickly is that it wasn’t a concussion, hence he cleared the protocols quickly. In this case, the concern surrounding his return is very much minimized. And I think this is probably the situation.

But the probability of the Chiefs and the NFL finding some medical loophole to let him play after a concussion is not zero, and if they are doing this it would be the highest level of hypocrisy possible.