Thanksgiving day football is an extremely joyous day for fans. But this year, there was a note of despair amidst the festivities. This Thanksgiving marked the first one without the presence of NFL legend John Madden. Madden passed away last December at the age of 85.

As one of the biggest pioneers of the game, Madden was honoured through various tributes on Thanksgiving. Fans and players alike honoured Madden’s legacy and the impact he had on the sport.

Patrick Mahomes honors a legend

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes joined in on the tributes. Speaking to the media, Mahomes stated that he will be having one special delicacy for Thanksgiving. As you may have guessed, this special food is the ‘turducken’. As its name suggests the turducken is chicken stuffed in a duck, which is then stuffed into a turkey. This particular food was brought to the spotlight by Madden during games. He once described the precision with which one should cut open a turducken.

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He said, “I’m doing the turducken this year, I’m going to try it out. I’m not cooking it, I can’t cook. My chef’s already preparing it, getting it ready to go. I’ll let y’all know next week how it is.” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will also be having a turducken for Thanksgiving in honor of Madden.

NFL World reacts to Mahomes’ tribute

Fans online reacted to Mahomes’ tribute with remembrance tributes of their own. This fan posted a picture of Madden with an extravagant meal in front of him and stated that he [Madden] would’ve approved of Mahomes.

Another user says that Madden would’ve been very proud.

Other fans chimed in with their Thanksgiving wishes for the quarterback and wished him the best. John Madden’s impact on the sport cannot be forgotten. Many in the NFL world paid their tributes in remembrance of his legacy. NFL Network host Rich Eisen tweeted, “Starting tomorrow, the NFL will honor John Madden every Thanksgiving forevermore with a stencil of Madden on each 25-yard line, a matching logo on all player helmets and a 10k gift to a local HS or youth football team in the name of each Madden Player of the Game. #Boom“

Nobody was as excited about Thanksgiving as John Madden was. In honor of his memory and legacy, the NFL world will continue to uphold the things that make this sport great.

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