Spencer Page
Senior Staff Writer
On Sunday, Feb. 9, the Philadelphia Eagles played the Kansas City Chiefs at the Mercedes Benz Super Dome in New Orleans for the Super Bowl. On the surface, this game was between two juggernauts of the sport in a rematch from 2023. However, this game had so many deep storylines, making it a historical Super Bowl for many reasons.
Firstly, the Kansas City Chiefs had the opportunity to achieve something unprecedented in National Football League (NFL) history: win three consecutive Super Bowls. While great dynasties have existed in football such as the Tom Brady-led Patriots and the Joe Montana-led 49ers, the quest to win three consecutive Super Bowls has continued to evade even the best teams. In contrast to football, each of the other major American sports has witnessed at least one franchise string together three straight championships. Thus, if the Chiefs were to pull off this historic feat, it would not only place them in a class of their own in NFL history but would also thrust quarterback Patrick Mahomes into the middle of the NFL greatest-of-all-time debate.
As it currently stands, Mahomes, with his two Most Valuable Player awards, three Super Bowl rings, and three Super Bowl MVPs, is known by many as one of the top three quarterbacks of all time. With a third ring in a row and fourth overall, it would be impossible to say that he hasn’t jumped Joe Montana as the second best quarterback of all time, with the only player who is clearly better than him being Tom Brady. With the Chiefs’ loss, however, there are many critics questioning whether Mahomes can ever be known as the greatest quarterback of all time. With him now tallying two embarrassing Super Bowl defeats, one coming at the hands of Brady, doubts about his chances to pass Brady are beginning to grow.
On the other side of the field stood quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, attempting to make their own history. With their win on Sunday, they gave the city of Philadelphia a championship which has been few and far between this century. Aside from a Super Bowl victory in 2017 by the Eagles and a World Series victory for the Phillies in 2008, each deep playoff run and championship appearance by a Philadelphia sports team has left the city heartbroken. However, with this victory, the Eagles have seemingly jumpstarted a new era of Philadelphia sports.
For Hurts, this Super Bowl presented a chance for him to become the first quarterback from after the 2013 NFL draft to break through and win a Super Bowl. Due to the dominance of veteran players like Brady and Mahomes over the past decade, recent quarterback classes have not been able to bring a Super Bowl home to their city. While winning this Super Bowl certainly defied expectations, Hurts is no stranger to doing so. Few experts expected the second-round pick to be able to lead a championship level team, much less become an MVP candidate. Overall, this Super Bowl victory for Hurts not only validates his growth throughout his career but signals to the rest of the league that Mahomes can be beaten.
In the end, this Super Bowl was more than simply a championship game: this was a defining moment for two quarterbacks, two cities, two franchises, and the entire NFL. The humiliating loss for the Chiefs raised some questions in their ability to be dominant moving forwards, while this win for the Eagles ended years of heartbreak and has ignited a new chapter in Philadelphia sports and quarterback play. Regardless of the result, this game left a lasting imprint, not just for each team’s fans, but as a defining moment in the evolution of the game.