Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes still waiting for NFL to return his famous cracked helmet

The Chiefs’ playoff run to the Super Bowl LVIII championship began on a mustache-freezing night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was so cold during the Chiefs’ 26-7 win over the Dolphins that quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ helmet broke after he absorbed a tough hit.

Remember this moment from the game, when the temperature was minus-4 at kickoff with a wind chill factor of minus-27?

After the game, the NFL took Mahomes’ VICIS Zero2 helmet to have it closely examined. But Mahomes said at the time, he wasn’t about to let the league keep it.

“They’re testing it right now, but I’m adamant on getting the helmet after,” Mahomes said in January. “It’s definitely something that’s cool, that I’ll be able to keep for a long time.”

In April, I asked the NFL for an update.

“The helmet is still undergoing materials science testing but beyond that nothing more specific to share at this time,’’ the NFL’s Stef Goodsell wrote in an email.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported in April that Mahomes’ cracked helmet could result in a change.

“New testing procedures could emerge as a result,” Seifert reported, “in addition to some different game-day protocols.”

Mahomes was asked Wednesday at training camp if he had gotten the helmet back and he answered by taking a playful jab at equipment manager Alan Wright.

“I haven’t gotten it back yet I’m trying to get it back still,” Mahomes said. “I mean, Alan sometimes is just kind of like kind of lazy. I’m not gonna say it, but just a little bit.”

Mahomes broke into a big smile and laughed after poking fun at Wright.

Let’s hope the NFL didn’t misplace the helmet, because it would be a cool keepsake for Mahomes, along with his Lombardi Trophies and NFL MVP awards.