The Super Bowl LVII matchup is now set. The Philadelphia Eagles will go up against the Kansas City Chiefs, marking a historic feat as it will be the first time that two Black quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, will be starting in the Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles earned a decisive victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (Jan. 29) with a final score of 31-7. The 49ers dealt with injuries to their quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo during the regular season, but Brock Purdy filled those shoes well, as he won each of his seven starts and his two playoff starts. Purdy went down early with an arm injury on Sunday and his backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion, forcing Purdy to return to the game later on. The 49ers could not establish an offensive rhythm and were steamrolled by the No. 1 seed and now-NFC champion Eagles. Notably, Hurts did not have a spectacular game, as he threw for 121 yards and did not pass or run for a touchdown.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a much more difficult outing against the Cincinnati Bengals, with whom they’ve formed a tense rivalry. The game, once again, came down to the wire in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game where the Bengals took the victory. The Chiefs marched down the field and their kicker Harrison Butker nailed a 45-yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter to give them the 23-20 victory. Mahomes was battling an ankle injury and still threw for 326 passing yards and two touchdowns.
This will be the Eagles’ first time in the Super Bowl since their victory over the New England Patriots in 2018. Jalen Hurts brings significantly less experience than his opposing quarterback, but the Eagles established themselves as the favorite to win it all after winning their first eight games, and only losing three overall.
The Chiefs return to the Super Bowl after a 2021 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just one year after defeating the 49ers for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Patrick Mahomes has bolstered his impressive resume, making his third Super Bowl and now having played in five consecutive AFC Championship games each of the five years he has been a starter for the Chiefs.
Super Bowl LVII will also feature a halftime performance by Rihanna, opening performances by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Babyface, and Chris Stapleton, and commercial spots by Cardi B, Offset, Missy Elliott, Jack Harlow, and more.