Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes leads 'choir huddle' as a tribute to late Len Dawson

Two quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs. On Thursday night, one of those QBs, Patrick Mahomes, honored the first one to do it, the late Len Dawson.

Dawson, who won Super Bowl IV MVP, died at age 87 this week. Mahomes didn't play in the Chiefs' preseason game on Thursday, but he did take the field to lead a tribute to Dawson.

The Chiefs lined up in the "choir huddle," with the quarterback facing all 10 teammates, in two rows of five. The choir huddle is an enduring image of Dawson and his team from Super Bowl IV. The Chiefs took a delay of game penalty, and Mahomes left the field urging the crowd to get even louder as it cheered.

The Packers declined the penalty.

"We all wanted to do something," Mahomes said during a sideline interview on the Chiefs' broadcast. "I think Clark [Hunt, Chiefs CEO] and Coach [Andy] Reid talked about it and came up with the idea. Obviously we're praying for his family. But he did so much to impact the Kansas City community and this organization, we wanted to do something, a little token to show our appreciation. I'm glad we got to do it here at Arrowhead."

There have been plenty of tributes to Dawson, a huge figure in the Chiefs organization. The team will wear helmet decals this season with Dawson's No. 16.

Mahomes doing the choir huddle after the idea was hatched was a great tribute, showing an appreciation for a Hall of Fame legend who is still synonymous with the Chiefs franchise.

"As a player, he was the guy that got the Kansas City Chiefs going," Mahomes said. "He was part of a great group that made the Chiefs who they are today."

In a tribute to the late Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, who died this week at the age of 87, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs led the team in a choir formation huddle. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
In a tribute to the late Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, who died this week at the age of 87, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs led the team in a choir formation huddle. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)