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Katherine Terrell
NEW ORLEANS — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts took a moment to reflect Sunday.
He paused for a few seconds when he was asked about his “journey to the top of the mountain,” less than an hour after being named Super Bowl LIX MVP in the Eagles’ 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts, who was once benched for teammate Tua Tagovailoa while they played at Alabama, considered his thoughts and smiled. Then, he described his path to the Super Bowl victory as “not normal.”
“It’s, um,” he said before sounding choked up, “it’s been a very unprecedented journey. The journey, it’s always the beginning until it’s the end, and I think, it means a lot.”
Hurts described that journey as having a “lot of ups and downs, highs and lows,” before he got his first Super Bowl win. One of those lows was a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, 2023.
Although Hurts accounted for four touchdowns, it wasn’t enough to beat Kansas City or Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw for three touchdowns and won his second of three Super Bowl MVP awards after the 38-35 victory.
But Hurts was practically perfect in Super Bowl LIX, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, while rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown.
He exited the game to applause with 2:52 left and an insurmountable lead as the Eagles inserted backup quarterback Kenny Pickett in the game.
“He played incredible,” Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said. “He did amazing. … He was poised the whole game, he was in control, he made checks and he threw dimes. He just gave us opportunities, and when we were covered a little bit, he took off running — he used his legs.”
Hurts became the first quarterback in a Super Bowl to lead both teams in rushing yards since Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX. He also broke his 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.
He also is the first NFL player to have at least five passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a postseason.
However, if Super Bowl MVPs could be awarded to a unit, Eagles coordinator Vic Fangio and his defense would have been the runaway winner.
The Eagles’ defense dominated Mahomes and the rest of the Kansas City offense, forcing three turnovers and keeping the Chiefs 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 one interception each by linebacker Zack Baun and cornerback Cooper DeJean — it was hard to choose a standout.
“The offense was able to score points and take advantage of opportunities, just enough to put points on the board, and the defense, the defense played their ass off,” Hurts said. “They played how they played all year. I truly believe offense wins games and defense wins championships.”
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 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.
“Things come right on time. The last time around, it wasn’t our time, it wasn’t my time,” Hurts said. “Sometimes, you have to accept that you have to wait your turn. … As great as the performance was, it wasn’t enough to win. Going through those emotions and processing those things, that experience, lit a great flame in me and enhanced my desire to win.”
