During Saturday night's wild-card matchup between the Chiefs and Dolphins, Patrick Mahomes' helmet cracked late in the third quarter. The Kansas City quarterback admitted it was a first-time experience.
Patrick Mahomes wasn't about to come out of the game over a busted helmet https://t.co/Tn2ne9jcT5 pic.twitter.com/ws0H1n44GN
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 14, 2024
"I didn't know what happened in the moment," Mahomes said in a postgame news conference, via Yahoo! Sports. "But I got in the huddle, and everyone was telling me. But I was like, 'I got y'all, but I'm not coming out of the game, so we can figure it out on the sideline.' It was a first for me."
The helmet probably broke due to subfreezing weather. At kickoff, the temperature was -4 degrees with a wind chill of minus-27 degrees, making it the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, per the Associated Press. This also made it more difficult for Mahomes to put on his backup helmet.
"They have a backup that's out there," Mahomes said. "We have to talk about where we store the backup because it was frozen. When I tried to put it on, it was completely frozen. I couldn't put it on."
Patrick Mahomes passes Aaron Rodgers, Troy Aikman & Roger Staubach with his 12th career playoff win. pic.twitter.com/qnYY49caXw
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 14, 2024
Despite the helmet troubles, the Chiefs dominated the Dolphins, 26-7. Mahomes completed 23-of-41 passes for 262 yards and one TD.
Additionally, he earned his 12th playoff win, surpassing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.
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