Alex Smith suffered a head injury doctors don't believe was an actual concussion but it will change the way he plays the game.

Smith has habitually gone late into his slide throughout his career.

“Looking back, the late slide is not what you want to do," Smith said. “I just think it puts you in such a vulnerable position. I think you’d be better to maintain being a football player and playing. No protection there. You’re kind of going down and have your legs underneath you. It’s not a good position to be in. That’s what I want to avoid for sure.

“The slide is a tool to help protect yourself. I do look back and certainly think the first slide was late. Those are tough. I think those are bang-bang plays and I do think if anything it’s the one I’m kicking myself over. To put myself in that situation where you’re vulnerable, you’re not protected because I did slide late. I did feel like on the second one, and this is my opinion [because] these are fast plays and refs have a hard time, I felt like I did get down early enough to protect myself, to afford myself that protection."

The Kansas City Chiefs are optimistic Jamaal Charles could return for the playoffs.

The Chiefs could use the designated to return tag after Charles sits out eight weeks.

Charles underwent a surgery to trim his meniscus. 

Spencer Ware has been impressive replacing Charles this season but will miss at least one week after suffering a concussion. Charcandrick West will get most of the snaps this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed Jamaal Charles on injured reserve.

Charles tore his ACL last season and didn't look like the same player coming back this season.

Charles began having soreness in his surgically repaired right knee two weeks ago.

A source told ESPN that Charles will have what is described as a "hopefully pretty minor procedure done [on the knee] tomorrow.

The IR designation could mark the end of Charles' career in Kansas City. His contract with the Chiefs runs through 2017, when he is scheduled to make $3,750,000 with a roster bonus of $3 million.

Spencer Ware has been productive for the Chiefs in place of Charles.

The Kansas City Chiefs believe Alex Smith didn't suffer a concussion in Week 8 despite multiple hits to the head.

Head trainer Rick Burkholder explained Smith passed the initial five-question checklist part of the league's concussion protocol on the sideline. Smith went into the locker room because of a laceration on his ear, and passed further tests for a concussion while in the locker room, too. Smith exited the game the second time after taking another hit to the head and later was ruled out with a concussion, which Burkholder explained was a miscommunication.

"The only mistake was me telling (the spokesman) concussion, out," Burkholder said.

Smith will see an independent neurologist in Kansas City this week.