During the AFC Championship game on Sunday, the Bills’ top cornerback Christian Benford was sidelined due to a concussion. His injury happened in the first quarter when his helmet collided with a teammate’s helmet.

This was not the first time Benford had dealt with a concussion during the playoffs. He had also suffered one in the previous game against the Ravens on Jan. 19. However, he had managed to clear the concussion protocol before the AFC Championship.

The incident with the Chiefs took place towards the end of the first quarter, as wide receiver Xavier Worthy from Kansas City ran 8 yards after receiving a handoff.

As he neared the sideline, both Benford and safety Damar Hamlin converged to make a tackle, but their helmets ended up colliding.

And after he exited, questions emerged about how Benford was able to clear protocol — which started after he sustained the injury while defending Baltimore’s onside kick last week — and play in the first place.

Benford, the Bills’ sixth-round pick during the 2022 NFL Draft, has started 14 and 15 games for Buffalo across the last two seasons, respectively.