“I have not.I’m sure it had to do with it being really cold,” Mahomes remarked about the helmet damage. The star quarterback was initially unaware of the issue, learning about the damaged helmet from teammates in the huddle. Despite the compromised gear, Mahomes was determined to stay in the game.“I didn’t know what happened in the moment, 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,’” Mahomes explained. “It was a first for me.”
Officials eventually stopped play to provide Mahomes with a replacement helmet. However, Mahomes encountered another hurdle as the backup helmet, kept outside, had frozen in the extreme cold, making it challenging to put on.
“They have a backup that’s out there. 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,” Mahomes disclosed.
While the situation was resolved during the game, the incident raises concerns about the safety of football helmets in subzero temperatures. The companies manufacturing these helmets are required to subject them to safety testing before NFL approval. However, it remains uncertain whether these tests include evaluations under extreme cold conditions.
This incident prompts calls for both the NFL and the NFL Players Association to prioritize comprehensive helmet testing in a range of temperatures, ensuring player safety is not compromised, even in the most challenging weather conditions.
(Inputs from agencies)
