If you’ve watched the Kansas City Chiefs, you may have noticed that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has a bit of an odd equipment choice. Why does he wear his helmet so high?
Why Is Patrick Mahomes’ Helmet So Big and High?
Mahomes usually wears a Riddell SpeedFlex helmet. This helmet’s dimensions exceed those of a normal NFL helmet, and safety is a major reason why. In an effort to avoid concussions and other head injuries, Mahomes and some other quarterbacks wear the SpeedFlex since it is one of the safest helmets available.
That explains why Mahomes’ helmet looks bigger than usual, but why does he wear it so high? He does this because he doesn’t want his helmet slipping over his eyes. After this kept happening, Mahomes decided to wear his helmet higher than usual so it wouldn’t impact his vision.
Over the years, fans have pointed out Mahomes’ helmet, but it definitely became a talking point during the Chiefs’ Wild Card victory over the Miami Dolphins. With sub-zero temperatures, a piece of Mahomes’ helmet actually broke off after a hit.
The refs didn't make the #chiefs take a timeout or take Patrick Mahomes out of the game for one play to change his helmet. Everyone is astonished by this… pic.twitter.com/YSEMPyWudA
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) January 14, 2024
Mahomes played a couple more snaps before being stopped by officials and given a new helmet in between plays.
“Extreme conditions like those are bound to test the limits of even the highest-performing products,” Certor Sports said.
With so much attention on Mahomes’ helmet, fans noticed its unique look and fit.
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Certor Sports made the helmet that Mahomes was wearing that night — a VICIS ZERO2. The game was negative four degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff, with wind gusts of more than 25 miles per hour. It was the fourth-coldest game in NFL history.
“It was a first for me,” said Mahomes on his helmet breaking.
The VICIS ZERO2 helmet uses multilayer technology to create a “deformable outer shell,” the company said. It is wrapped around a stiffer inner shell and designed similarly to a car bumper. The ZERO2 line has models for both linemen and quarterbacks and held the top five spots in testing by the NFL and NFLPA in 2023.
“It is unusual for a football helmet to crack a shell, but we’ve had occurrences here in the lab, and we generally test at ambient temperature,” said Barry Miller, who directs the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. However, despite it looking bad, the helmet “did its job” in protecting Mahomes.
Despite having a different helmet than most, Mahomes is obviously still one of the best ever to do it. He is arguably the most talented quarterback to ever play football, and his GOAT argument strengthens every year. Even if he never played another down, Mahomes has already established himself as an all-time great and future Hall of Famer.