Hurts, Mahomes Set Up First Super Bowl Between Black Starting QBs
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Hurts, Mahomes set up first Super Bowl between Black starting QBs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are chasing a Super Bowl title, but they’ve already made history two weeks ahead of their showdown in Glendale, Ariz.
The two NFL MVP finalists will become the first Black quarterbacks to face one another in a Super Bowl when Hurts’ Philadelphia Eagles face Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs. Hurts punched his ticket to his first Super Bowl appearance with the Eagles’ dominant win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Mahomes followed that up by earning his third Super Bowl berth with the Chiefs’ nail-biting AFC title game win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Only three Black quarterbacks have ever lifted the Lombardi Trophy. Doug Williams became the first when he led Washington to a Super Bowl XXII victory over the Denver Broncos. It took 26 years before Russell Wilson became the second with a Seattle Seahawks rout against the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Mahomes got his first championship with the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV win against the 49ers three seasons ago. Now, Mahomes can become the first Black quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls and the 13th QB all-time to pull off the feat.
Four other Black quarterbacks have reached the Super Bowl but lost. Steve McNair started for the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, Donovan McNabb started for the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, Colin Kaepernick started for the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII and Cam Newton started for the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
Mahomes and Wilson are also among the Black quarterbacks to lose a Super Bowl. Mahomes’ Chiefs were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two seasons ago, while Wilson’s Seahawks had their hearts ripped out by the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.
Hurts will hope to avoid that list and instead tie a Mahomes record. At just 24 years old, Hurts can match his Super Bowl LVII counterpart as the youngest Black starting quarterback to be crowned a champion.