NFL News: Monday, January 23

We have reached the final full week of January, and that means that the NFL season is starting to come to an end. There are now just four NFL teams left standing in the playoffs, and that is clearly the biggest news story surrounding the league. 

The AFC Championship Game will feature the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs for the second straight year. In the NFC, it will be the San Francisco 49ers taking on the Philadelphia Eagles. 

There were also some big news stories to come out of those four Divisional Round Playoff Games, and some things happened that could impact the conference championship games. 

Mahomes Suffers High Ankle Sprain

The AFC Championship Game will be a rematch, and the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for revenge after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals a season ago. That won’t be the biggest topic of discussion this week, though, as everyone will be trying to get information on the ankle of Patrick Mahomes. 

Mahomes suffered a high ankle sprain in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and was forced to miss a portion of the second quarter. The MVP quarterback did come back out onto the field in the second half, but he was clearly hobbled by the injury. 

Backup quarterback Chad Henne was able to lead the Chiefs to a touchdown during his time on the field, but the Chiefs are hoping that he doesn’t have to play on Sunday. Mahomes is expecting to play in the AFC Championship Game, but he could be limited in what he can do. 

Pollard Suffers Broken Leg

The Dallas Cowboys not only suffered a loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, but they also lost one of their players in the process. Running back Tony Pollard suffered a broken left fibula in the second quarter after being hit around the ankle. 

Pollard was unable to put any weight on his leg as he was helped to the sidelines and eventually placed in an air cast. Television cameras showed him leaving the field on a cart, and he was ruled out for the rest of the game. 

It’s unclear when Pollard will be able to return to football activities, and this injury could end up being costly for him. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and was set to receive a big contract after having a breakout year. 

Hamlin Attends Bills Loss

The Buffalo Bills might have come up short against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but there was a very special moment during the game. Damar Hamlin was in attendance at the game, and he was shown on the big screen to all of the fans in attendance. 

The team also got to visit with Hamlin before the game as he made an appearance in the team locker room. He did not step onto the field at any point of the game, but that will be the next step in his recovery. 

There has not been a timetable set for his return to football activities, but he continues to do his rehab at the Bills team facility.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.