Prior to this weekend, not many people could say they’ve seen an NFL player’s helmet shatter, but it was so cold in Kansas City on Saturday that’s exactly what fans saw. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had his helmet shatter on a helmet-to-helmet hit from Miami Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott during the third quarter of Saturday’s AFC Wild Card round matchup. The dangerously cold weather likely contributed to the star quarterback’s helmet shattering:
A piece of Patrick Mahomes’ helmet came flying off. 😮 pic.twitter.com/m2bFObIhnq
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 14, 2024
The temperatures are so cold in Kansas City that some called for the game to be postponed earlier this week. Even former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III suggested that the matchup be moved because the weather conditions aren’t safe for players or fans.
It’s so cold in Kansas City that Pat Mahomes’ helmet cracked 🤯 pic.twitter.com/oVzz1oi0O7
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) January 14, 2024
Considering Mahomes’ helmet cracked, Griffin certainly had a point in saying that the weather conditions weren’t safe. Luckily the two-time Super Bowl champion was not injured on the play. The NFL is no stranger to having games played in subzero temperatures. One of the coldest games on record came in January 1982 when the Cincinnati Bengals and then-San Diego Chargers played in temperatures of -9 degrees with a windchill of -59 degrees.