The 2024 AFC Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs became the talk of the town — not for its fierce competition but for the freezing cold that posed an arduous challenge for the players. Despite this, some Dolphins players chose to attend the warmup session shirtless, a decision that puzzled Chiefs star safety Justin Reid.
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During his recent appearance on the latest episode of “Green Light with Chris Long,” Reid expressed surprise at seeing the bare-chested Dolphins in such cold conditions. He felt that their choice to go shirtless was unnecessary and perhaps impractical, considering he himself was wearing three layers of clothing for warmth.
“You know there’s no heroes in trying to show skin when it’s negative 27 outside,” Reid asserted. “I was like, ‘bro, what are y’all doing? Who are y’all trying to impress right now?’ I was there with three layers in warm-ups, and they had some guys with their shirts off, bro.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, former NFL DE turned analyst, Chris Long stressed that flaunting dominance through performance on the field mattered more than showing machoism by going shirtless in freezing conditions.
Despite the bold move by the Dolphins, it was the Chiefs who managed to adapt to the Arctic-like climate, winning the bout with a 19-point lead (26-7) and advancing to the Divisional Round.
Looking back, the temperature at Arrowhead Stadium that day plummeted to a bone-chilling 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The biting wind chill made the atmosphere even colder ranging from minus 21 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the match. The National Weather Service even issued warnings about the frigid conditions for Miami fans who are more accustomed to milder weather.
That said, despite the forecasts and unfamiliar climate, Reid played a significant role in guiding the Chiefs through the freezing playoff game against Miami.
Justin Reid Helped the Chiefs Stay Warm During the Wildcard Round
During the same interview, Reid discussed the difficulties of playing in such challenging conditions and even shared advice he received from players in the Canadian League, known for their cold weather. Firstly, he made it very clear that he felt sorry for the people in the crowd, as it was nothing to joke about.
Next, he recalled giving a suggestion to the entire Chiefs team for surviving the cold, which he received from up north. It basically comes down to not relying on the heaters too much and avoiding warming the entire body at all costs.
Only hands or feet were enough to keep warm because if it’s anything more, the heater becomes something like a ‘pacifier for a baby.’ They wouldn’t be able to focus on the field and would want to come back to the heater every time they felt the chill. Considering that it was win-it-all or go-home, relying too much on a heater would have been detrimental for the Chiefs.
“I actually called some guys that play in the Canadian League to get their advice on what to do about it, and I shared it with the team,” Reid said. “One of the interesting tips they gave us was: he said don’t hug the heater. He said the heater is for your hands and feet only. Do not warm your torso, your core body temperature with a heater because it’s like a pacifier for a baby. Every time you do it, it’s going to get harder and harder to run back out onto the field.”
Interestingly, the playoff match featuring the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs has been dubbed the “Ice Bowl of 2024,” drawing parallels to the Packers vs. Cowboys game from 1967. As the 2024 season approaches, perhaps we will witness another game like it.
