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Katherine Terrell
NEW ORLEANS — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts earned Super Bowl MVP honors for the first time in his career after leading the Eagles to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
“God is good. … I couldn’t be here without my teammates, the effort and determination everybody displayed to get to this point,” Hurts said after the victory. “Hell of a game today.”
Hurts was practically perfect in Super Bowl LIX, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown.
He exited the game to applause with 2:52 left and the Eagles holding an insurmountable lead, heading to the sideline with a collection of records.
He became the first player in NFL history to have at least five passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a postseason.
He also became the first quarterback in a Super Bowl to lead both teams in rushing yards since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX. In addition, he broke his own record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a Super Bowl, surpassing the 70 yards he had in Super Bowl LVII. Hurts is the only quarterback with multiple 50-yard rushing games in the Super Bowl.
However, if Super Bowl MVPs could be awarded to an entire unit, Eagles coordinator Vic Fangio and his defense would have been the runaway winner.
The Eagles defense dominated Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City offense, forcing three turnovers and keeping them out of the end zone for almost three quarters. Fangio was 0-8 against Mahomes and the Chiefs coming into the game.
But with so many candidates on the defensive side — 2.5 sacks and four pressures for defensive end Josh Sweat, two sacks for defensive tackle Milton Williams, and interceptions by linebacker Zack Baun and cornerback Cooper DeJean — it was hard to choose a standout.
Sunday was a reversal of the Chiefs’ win against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023, when Mahomes received his second of three Super Bowl MVP awards after Kansas City’s 38-35 victory. Mahomes passed for three touchdowns that night, as Hurts accounted for four.
Though Mahomes and the Chiefs’ quest for a record third straight Super Bowl win dominated the headlines leading into Sunday’s game, Hurts left no doubt as to which quarterback deserved MVP honors. Mahomes struggled through three quarters and was sacked a career-high six times while losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions.