15 People Hospitalized, Dozens Treated for Hypothermia After Dolphins vs. Chiefs Game

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJanuary 17, 2024

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Dozens of people who attended the bitterly cold AFC Wild Card matchup between the host Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins last Saturday were treated for hypothermia.

Makenzie Koch of Fox 4 KC reported the figures from the Kansas City Fire Department:

“A Kansas City Fire Department spokesperson said the agency handled 69 calls at Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs took on the Miami Dolphins amid subzero temperatures.

“KCFD said approximately half of those calls were hypothermia related.

“Of the nearly 70 calls KC first responders received at Arrowhead, 15 people were transported to a local hospital. Seven of those transported were for hypothermia, and three were for frostbite.”

Former NFL center A.Q. Shipley reported on The Pat McAfee Show that sources told him numerous players suffered from frostbite.

Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow”I heard from source(s) that some players did get frostbite in Kansas City on Saturday night”@aqshipley #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/PYWmjbQIwE

It got as cold as minus-9 degrees with a minus-28 wind chill by the end of the game, per the Peacock broadcast (h/t Ben Morse and Melissa Alonso of CNN.com). At kickoff, it was minus-4 degrees with a minus-20 wind chill. The matchup was the fourth-coldest game on record in NFL history.

The Chiefs won the matchup 26-7 behind a stout rushing attack (147 yards), rookie Rashee Rice’s breakout day (130 yards, one score) and a strong defensive performance.

Up next for Kansas City is a matchup at Buffalo for an AFC Divisional Round game on Sunday. It may feel positively balmy on Sunday compared to last week, with the high temperature set for 24 degrees.