Helmets are the only thing standing between NFL players and scrambled-egg brains. Concussions remain one of the most common injuries in football, and every year, companies roll out “improved” helmet designs to make them tougher. Still, cracks and breaks are part of the game; sometimes, a helmet doesn’t even last the full season. Just ask Patrick Mahomes.
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Back in the 2023-24 Wild Card round against the Dolphins, Mahomes’ helmet couldn’t survive the punishment. Late in the game, the two-time MVP scrambled out of the pocket with the first-down marker and even the goal line in sight. Instead of sliding and taking the safer option, Mahomes decided to lower his shoulder and take on the hit.
Sure enough, he got one, colliding head-to-head with Miami safety DeShon Elliott. The helmets clashed, but Mahomes took the worst of it; a chunk cracked off and went flying for all to see.
The funny part? Mahomes didn’t even realize his helmet was split. He kept playing with the cracked lid, shard missing and all, despite teammates giving him puzzled stares. Turns out he ‘did’ know about the damage but refused to switch. Why? Because his backup helmet was sitting outside in the freezing Kansas City night, with Arrowhead temperatures dipping below -4°F. Apparently, he preferred a cracked helmet over a frozen one.
As for Elliott, he still remembers the play fondly. Long criticized as a reckless, bull-in-a-china-shop type of player, he insists he has tried to change that perception and play with more control. But that broken Mahomes helmet? That’s different. To Elliott, it’s a memento, proof of the kind of impact he can make. He’s even said he wants Mahomes to hand it over if the Chiefs QB still has it lying around.
“I have always been perceived as a crash dummy, a little bit. I have toned it down as I have gotten older. Gotten better with it, more safe with my body, so I can extend my career. I still knock somebody if I have to, legally. I have that picture, actually. I want that helmet that Patrick has. I wonder if he still has it. I’m going to ask him if he still has it. I kind of want it.”
Patrick Mahomes could save himself and his helmet a lot of trouble if he simply avoided unnecessary hits. Sliding instead of fighting for every extra yard would go a long way toward keeping him upright. Of course, it’s not all on him. If the Chiefs gave him stronger protection up front and a more reliable run game, Mahomes wouldn’t need to scramble so often just to manufacture plays and pick up yards.
