
USA Today via Reuters
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium during a cold wind chill warning of -27 degrees F (-33 C) in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. January 13, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS

USA Today via Reuters
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of the 2024 AFC wild card game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium during a cold wind chill warning of -27 degrees F (-33 C) in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. January 13, 2024. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS
Patrick Mahomes’ helmet has been the talk of the town. Why? In the Chiefs vs. Dolphins showdown, he had broken his helmet. If it weren’t for the helmet, it could lead to some serious damage for the player. Concussions would become much more frequent. So, how much does a QB helmet cost? And what goes into making one?
Moreover, helmets right now are pretty good at protecting players. But as technology advances, we’re sure to come up with better helmets that could make concussions a thing of the past.
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How much would Patrick Mahomes’ helmet have cost him?
If you look at Mahomes’ helmet, there’s nothing extraordinary about it. It’s just a red helmet with pretty Chiefs graphics. However, these helmets are wonders of engineering. If you started breaking apart the helmet, you’d know why. On the inside, the padding of the helmet is custom 3D-printed that fits the head of the player perfectly. That’s why you can’t swap one player’s helmet for another. There’s a good chance it might not fit properly.

via Imago
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Washington Commanders Minicamp Jun 8, 2023; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Commanders players helmets rest on the field during day three of minicamp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park, held inside the training bubble due to poor air quality from Canadian wildfire smoke in Ashburn. Ashburn VA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGeoffxBurkex 20230608_gkb_sb4_027
Moreover, the padding is made with a complex lattice structure. The structure is not only lightweight but tough as well. The latest Vicis helmets worn by players have been certified by the NFL itself as offering the best head protection. The one brought by Vicis in the year 2021, has even been hailed by TIME magazine as among the best inventions of the year.
All said and done, if you went to purchase an original Vicis helmet for yourself, how much would it cost you? The official website says the cost is $899.99 for the latest Zero2 QB Elite Helmet. That’s a hefty price to pay for a helmet. Any cheaper options? The company Riddell sells “NFL Authentic Helmets” at $359.99. Still, not a small sum! So, if the helmets are so good, how did Mahomes even break his?
How did Mahomes break his helmet?
His helmet shouldn’t have broken under normal circumstances. But on Sunday, conditions were not normal. The temperature had fallen to below 0 degrees! It’s likely that the low temperatures would have made the helmet brittle. And then the collision happened. Mahomes was racing to the end zone. The ball was in his hands. Just then, Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott crashed into him. Both their helmets collided. And a large piece of his helmet went flying.
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A piece of Patrick Mahomes' helmet came flying off. 😮 pic.twitter.com/m2bFObIhnq
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 14, 2024
Did that stop Mahomes? No way! He kept playing. Two plays later, he went to the sidelines to change his helmet. There was just one spare helmet And that was frozen as well. But he had no option. Additionally, the helmet also didn’t fit him properly. But he kept going and the Chiefs won eventually.
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Maybe the NFL should not work on developing cold-resistant helmets as well.
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