Bills Lose Key Cornerback Christian Benford to Concussion During AFC Title Game

Buffalo's secondary faces challenges as Benford exits after a helmet-to-helmet collision with teammate Damar Hamlin.

Christian Benford, a top cornerback for the Buffalo Bills, was ruled out of the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs after suffering a concussion in the first quarter.
The injury occurred during a helmet-to-helmet collision with teammate Damar Hamlin while attempting to tackle Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Benford had cleared concussion protocol earlier in the week and was expected to play a significant role in covering Kansas City's receivers.
The Bills were already short-handed in the secondary, with safety Taylor Rapp inactive due to back and hip injuries, leaving rookies and veterans to fill critical roles.
Kansas City entered the game with a nearly full-strength roster, benefiting from rest earned by securing the top seed in the AFC playoffs.