Marcus Mariota grew up in Hawaii, played his college football in Oregon and is currently employed professionally by a team residing in Nashville, Tennessee. None of those places are known for having tundra.
The Titans quarterback admitted that Sunday's tilt in Kansas City, which is currently calling for a high of 14 degrees and a low of four degrees, will be the chilliest of his life.
"It will probably be the coldest game I've ever played,'' Mariota said, via the team's official website. "But I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a fun atmosphere and can't wait to do it. I'll be ready."
Mariota said his coldest game to date was in college versus Oregon State, in Corvallis. That game kicked off at 40 degrees but temps dropped into the 20s. Playing in the Midwest cold will be a different beast.
"I mean, growing up in Hawaii, I didn't have a game colder than 75," Mariota said. "When I got to college, it was a little different. But yeah, if you just don't even worry about it, you don't even think about it, it won't bother you."
The current forecast calls for afternoon snow on Saturday with an overnight low of -1 degrees.
We saw what the bitter K.C. cold can do to a quarterback last week when Derek Carr struggled in the elements. Arrowhead Stadium is also notorious for its icy patches on the field, which might not completely thaw by kickoff.Â
