[Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters]
Houston native Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles made history last night in Superbowl LIX with an amazing performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Hurts became the first Eagles quarterback to make multiple Super Bowl appearances and joined three others as the fourth Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He also became the third Black quarterback to earn the Super Bowl MVP award. He led the Eagles to a 40-22 win over the Chiefs, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, he also rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles previously lost to the Chiefs in Superbowl LVII in 2023, with a final score of 38-35.
Before last night’s game, only three Black quarterbacks had ever won a Super Bowl. Doug Williams was the first, leading Washington Redskins (now called the Commanders) to a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos in 1988. It took 26 more years before another Black quarterback won Russell Wilson, who led the Seattle Seahawks in beating the Broncos 43-8 in 2014. Patrick Mahomes has won multiple Super Bowls, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in 2020 (Super Bowl LIV), 2023 (Super Bowl LVII), and 2024 (Super Bowl LVIII). One of those wins was against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. Mahomes also played in the 2021 Super Bowl (Super Bowl LV) but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Steve McNair led the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV (2000), but they lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16. Donovan McNabb took the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX (2005), but they fell just short against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, losing 24-21.
In 2013, Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers played in Super Bowl XLVII but lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens. Cam Newton led the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 (2016) but was defeated by Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 24-10. Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles made it to Super Bowl LVII (2023), but Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs won a close game, 38-35.
In the 2024 NFL season, 15 out of 32 starting quarterbacks were Black, making up nearly 50% of the league’s starters. This is a major increase from 2011 when only 15% of games were started by Black quarterbacks, showing how much the league has changed over the years. After his historic Super Bowl win, Jalen Hurts kept his emotions in check during a post-game interview, saying he was “still processing” the victory. He credited his teammates, stating, “You don’t do great things without the guys around you.” Hurts also joined an elite group as only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to lose a Super Bowl and come back to win one.
