Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts to be first Black quarterbacks to face off at the Super Bowl
By Ben Church, CNN
The matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will be the first in Super Bowl history to feature two Black starting quarterbacks, as Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts bid to lead their teams to glory on the biggest stage of all.
Black quarterbacks have featured and won the Super Bowl in the past but never has there been two Black quarterbacks starting for each side.
Mahomes, who became the third Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl in 2020, is aiming to become the first Black quarterback in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls, while Eagles quarterback Hurts could become the fourth Black quarterback to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl, leading the then-Washington Redskins to victory in 1988, and was followed by Russell Wilson for the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Mahomes in 2020, while others have started and lost the big game.
Mahomes powered through an ankle injury to inspire his team to a 23-20 victory in the AFC Championship against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Clearly struggling with the pain, the 27-year-old produced an inspired performance, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
“I don’t think we have any cigars, but we’ll be ready to go at the Super Bowl,” Mahomes told CBS after the game, not wanting to get too excited.
Earlier in the day, Eagles quarterback Hurts passed Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season by a quarterback as he guided his team past the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7.
“I don’t really know how to feel, to be honest,” he told reporters after reaching the Super Bowl.
“You work really hard to put yourself in this position and I’m forever grateful. Only God knows the things that each individual on this team has been able to overcome for us to come together as a team and do something special as a group.
“That’s what means the most. I always want to go out there and give my best regardless of what’s going on because I don’t want to let down the guy next to me.”
Super Bowl LVII will take place on February 12.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
