The Kansas City Chiefs are facing the Miami Dolphins again, but Patrick Mahomes won’t have to deal with conditions close to what he faced the last time the teams met.
Kansas City last faced Miami on Jan. 13, 2024, when the Chiefs beat the Dolphins 26-7 in an AFC Wild Card Game at Arrowhead Stadium. The temperature at kickoff was minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of minus-27, making it the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.
This time, the Chiefs are playing at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, where temperatures are expected to be around 86 to 87 degrees at kickoff, according to NFL Weather. Mostly sunny skies, light winds, and only a small chance of rain are also expected.
That’s a temperature difference of roughly 90 degrees from the last Chiefs-Dolphins kickoff — and more than 110 degrees when comparing the 2024 wind chill to the expected temperature in Miami.
The last meeting also produced one of the more unusual moments of Mahomes’ career.
Patrick Mahomes’ Helmet Cracked During Historic Chiefs-Dolphins Game
Mahomes took a hard hit from Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott while scrambling toward the end zone in the third quarter. The hit cracked Mahomes’ helmet, leaving a fist-sized piece missing just above his left eye.
Mahomes didn’t immediately realize what had happened.
“I was trying to get there. A young Pat would have gotten in,” Mahomes said after the game, via the Associated Press. “I try not to do it too much, but it’s playoff time, and sometimes you have to put it on the line to get in the end zone and win football games.”
When Mahomes returned to the huddle, his teammates quickly noticed the damage.
“I’m sure it had to do with it being really cold,” Mahomes said. “But yeah, I didn’t know that happened in the moment. I got to the huddle and everyone was telling me, and I was like, ‘I got you all, but I’m not coming out of the game.’”
Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice recalled that Mahomes was more interested in running the next play than worrying about his helmet.
“He knew his helmet was cracked, and he just tried to go on to the next play,” Rice said. “He was like, ‘Come on. Get the play. Get the play.’ But he switched out the helmet, and he didn’t like it.”
Chiefs QB1 Had Another Problem With His Backup Helmet
The extreme cold created another issue when Mahomes tried to switch helmets.
While the helmet he had been wearing had stayed warm from use, his backup had been sitting on the sideline in the subzero temperatures.
“We have to talk about where we store the backup. It was like, frozen,” Mahomes said. “I tried to put it on and couldn’t get it on, but we were able to adjust it on the sideline and get it right.”
VICIS, the company that made Mahomes’ helmet, later addressed the damage in a statement on X.
“At VICIS, athlete safety is our top priority,” the company said. “While outer shell damage is not ideal, the ZERO2 helmet did its job of protecting Patrick Mahomes during a head-to-head impact in unprecedented cold temperatures.”
Mahomes finished the game with 262 passing yards and one touchdown as Kansas City advanced with the 26-7 win.
Afterward, Mahomes also credited the Chiefs fans who filled Arrowhead despite the dangerous cold.
“I mean, it’s negative-30 or whatever it is out here and there’s not an empty seat in the stands. People are staying after,” Mahomes said. “I’m glad we got to get the win for them and didn’t make them come out here for no reason.”
Chiefs-Dolphins Rematch Has 1 Huge Difference Patrick Mahomes Won’t Soon Forget