A question hung in the air during Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ media availability this week. Was he aware of the Preston Road Trophy awarded to the Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving winner? The three-time Super Bowl champion paused before answering, his mind elsewhere.

“I didn’t. I know there’s a Turducken. Is that the trophy?”

Wrong hardware, but the perfect spirit. For Mahomes, Thanksgiving football isn’t just about the owner trophy, although he did note he’ll try “to keep that in the Hunt household.” For him, the Thanksgiving game is about something even more memorable and iconic: the legendary John Madden tearing into a three-bird masterpiece on live television, turning an obscure dish into the holiday’s most iconic tradition. 

“I think of the Turducken. John Madden,” Mahomes said when asked his opinion about Thanksgiving football. “That, to me, that’s the coolest thing. And obviously, a legend of the game, I was able to talk to him a couple times on the phone with coach [Andy] Reid. And so, to be able to be a part of that, I think that would be a special moment.”

Here’s the thing: Mahomes isn’t chasing nostalgia; he’s chasing connection. The Turducken represents everything Madden brought to football. Joy, authenticity, and a game that felt like a family dinner rather than a corporate boardroom. For Patrick Mahomes, Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys offers something bigger than playoff positioning. It’s his shot at joining one of the sport’s quirkiest, most human rituals.

And it’s not his first dance with the dish. Back in 2022, Mahomes had his chefs prepare a Turducken for Thanksgiving, then took to Twitter to deliver his verdict: “Turducken = 🔥🔥🔥.” Even head coach Andy Reid had one waiting in his fridge for Thanksgiving. Both the coach and the quarterback wanted to honor Madden’s memory after the legendary coach passed away in December 2021.

There’s another layer of delicacy to this year’s Thanksgiving dish. The Chiefs haven’t played on Thanksgiving since way back in 2006. That’s a 19-year drought finally on its way to being broken on Thursday. And against the Cowboys! It’s special in the sense that that particular Thanksgiving matchup hasn’t happened since 1995, when Dallas walked away with a 24-12 win.

If Patrick Mahomes can notch a win against the Cowboys this week, that Turducken waiting for them will taste that much better.

But how did a turkey stuffed with duck and stuffed with chicken become the NFL’s unofficial Thanksgiving mascot? It’s all thanks to John Madden’s appetite!

When John Madden fell in love with a dish

Here’s the story. The year was 1996. John Madden was broadcasting Rams-Saints at the Superdome when a Saints PR walked into the booth with a Turducken. The aroma hit first, and then Madden’s curiosity took over. He reportedly “just started eating it with [his] hands” on National TV. No plates, no hesitation, pure Madden. 

That moment was unscripted magic. After the game, he called Glenn Mistich, owner of Gourmet Butcher Block, and asked if they could ship one to California. And they did. For years afterward, Madden made the Turducken a Thanksgiving broadcast staple, turning each bite into must-see television.

One legendary moment? Madden was mid-bite, hands covered in turkey grease, when Saints owner Tom Benson walked into the booth. “I’m there eating this turducken with my fingers,” Madden had remembered on one occasion. “Tom Benson comes in, and I have all this stuff on my fingers, and I’m doing that thing in my head where I’m wondering, ‘Do I shake his hand?’”

He did it, regardless of the messy fingers, and even joked that the two hadn’t spoken since then. That’s the beauty of the Turducken tradition. It’s messy, it’s delicious, and it’s perfect.

This year, the NFL honors John Madden with special patches featuring his silhouette. The coin toss for all three Thanksgiving games uses a special coin: Madden’s profile on heads and a six-legged Turducken on tails. Each matchup will name a Madden Thanksgiving MVP who receives a trophy “in the form of a pylon and includes various ‘Maddenisms’ sprinkled throughout,” per the official NFL website.

What’s more, each MVP will also receive a $10,000 NFL Foundation donation to a youth football program of the player’s choice. Game-used items will be auctioned to benefit the John Madden Foundation.

It’s the fourth consecutive year the league has celebrated Madden on Thanksgiving. A fitting tribute to a man who understood that football’s magic lives in rituals and human connections, not just in the analytics and strategy boards. 

So, for Patrick Mahomes, Thursday offers something beyond box scores. It’s his chance to ‘bite into history,’ quite literally. The Chiefs haven’t had this opportunity in nearly two decades, and their quarterback isn’t letting it pass. The Preston Road Trophy would be another bonus on top of the Turducken if they win.