By james art 
Kansas City, Mo. – Buffalo Bills corner Christian Benford has been ruled out of the AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night with a concussion.
Benford was carried off the field after a helmet-to-helmet collision with teammate Damar Hamlin while trying to make a tackle in the first quarter.
Benford, who spent the week in the concussion protocol before being cleared in time for the game, was sent off moments after being sent off in the corner tunnel at Arrowhead Stadium.
Benford was chasing Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy near the Bills’ sideline when he collided helmets with Hamlin, himself wearing a custodian’s hat. Benford was shaken up as he got to his feet and tried to get back on the field, but Bills corner Rasul Douglas stopped him in his tracks and made sure Buffalo trainers checked him out.
The loss was a big one for Buffalo, which relied on Benford to help cover the Chiefs’ fleet of wide receivers. He made a nice play earlier in the game to break up a pass deep downfield intended for Marquis Brown.
The Bills were already thin in the secondary without safety Taylor Rapp, who was inactive with back and hip injuries. He would play a significant role in covering tight ends for Chiefs Travis Kelce and Noah Gray.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.