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It’s not everyday you see something new in the NFL, but that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night.
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes rushed for a first down mid-way through the third quarter of Kansas City’s AFC Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins.
That alone wasn’t unusual. But at the end of the run, Mahomes lowered his head, causing his helmet to shatter as he made contact with a Dolphins defender.
Patrick Mahomes’ helmet shattered and they had to stop play to replace it pic.twitter.com/5CujEc5BjU
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) January 14, 2024
Mahomes played the next snap with the same helmet, which left rules analyst Terry McAulay in shocked. But it also caused a good amount of controversy among fans.
First, they wondered why Mahomes was not checked for a concussion, as well as why there was no flag for helmet-to-helmet contact.
Helmet to helmet hit and the helmet cracks. No call. No one calls down to check on a possible concussion. Player safety?
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) January 14, 2024
Following one play, Mahomes was made to switch out his helmet for a new one. But officials stopped the clock in order to allow him to make the change without coming out of the game and without a delay of game.
Fans immediately questioned why he didn’t have to come out of the game.
Why did they stop the time & play clock when mahomes helmet broke? Should he not have to switch out or call timeout? Just feel like they wouldn’t stop the clock for every team? 🤔
— Dallas (@PalaceDeDallas) January 14, 2024
https://twitter.com/Chazx596/status/1746370298755379654
Why is that allowed just for Mahomes???
— Ralph Krueger to the Hague (@CoryLandel) January 14, 2024
Kansas City went on to kick a field goal to end the drive, giving the Chiefs a 19-7 lead.
Mahomes showed no ill effects from the hit and continued as if it never happened. But fans were certainly left with plenty of questions following the play.