Super Bowl LVIII has come and gone, and once again, the Kansas City Chiefs are world champions, this time by way of a 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Becoming the first repeat winner of football’s greatest trophy since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots of 2004-05, the Chiefs relied on a strong second half, some veteran coaching and another spectacular performance from all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Having now suited up in four of the last five Super Bowls, Mahomes will soon be decked out in three championship rings to go alongside his three Super Bowl MVP trophies. His only loss in the big game came to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.
Over his 96-game career, the 28-year-old has 2,386 completions for 28,424 yards and 231 touchdowns. In 18 postseason matches, Mahomes has another 456 completions for 5,135 yards and 46 touchdowns. He has played fewer than three postseason games in just one of his six NFL seasons (two games in his rookie season).
Serving as the Chiefs’ gunslinger since 2018, Mahomes has set a number of team and league records while bringing a culture of football dominance to Missouri. Still, he has always remained quick to praise his teammates, coaches and Creator when asked about his accomplishments.
“He’s one of the best coaches of all time,” Mahomes said of coach Andy Reid following the Super Bowl triumph. “I believe he’s the best coach of all time. I know he doesn’t have the trophies yet. And I have a lot of respect for some of those great coaches. But it’s just the way he is able to navigate every single team he has and continues to have success no matter where he’s at.
“For me, he brings out the best in me because he lets me be me, and I think that’s important. He doesn’t try to make me anyone else. I don’t think that I’d be the quarterback that I am if I didn’t have Coach Reid being my head coach. Other than that, he wants you to be the best person you can be, and that’s something that I think is truly special.”
Moments after celebrating the championship with his teammates, Mahomes caught up with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, where he immediately praised God in response to the first question he was asked.
“It means a ton,” he said. “Just the adversity we went through and dealt with this year. And to come through, the guys never faltered. I just have to give God the glory; He challenged us to make us better. I’m proud of my guys, man. This is awesome. It’s legendary.”
He earlier spoke about the challenges God set in place for the Chiefs following their narrow victory over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game on January 28.
“God put a lot of adversity in our way this year. And we accepted the challenge, and we’re better for it,” Mahomes had foreshadowed. “I mean, it’s been a heck of a year. We’re not done yet. But this is a way to get there.”
At the Lombardi Trophy presentation, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt also used the platform to profess his thanks to God, showcasing Kansas City’s Spirit-led mentality that clearly operates from the very top-down.
“First of all, I want to congratulate Andy, the football team and our coaching staff on an incredible performance. It’s been an amazing five-year run,” Hunt said. “I want to thank the Lord for giving us this opportunity.”
On the other side of the Super Bowl field was San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy. Sunday’s marquee matchup was his first Super Bowl appearance, but the final selection from the 2022 NFL Draft knows that everything happens for a reason, and as he said, the loss was a part of God’s plan for him.
“It just hurts, you know? We had the team, obviously, to do it, to win the whole thing,” Purdy said following the game. “And to come up short like that, the way things have been the last couple years here, everyone wanted it so bad. I think we’re still trying to sort of gather our thoughts and everything right now. But everyone in that locker room loves each other, I’ll tell you that.”
With 31 touchdowns and a franchise-record 4,280 yards on the season, Purdy helped guide the 49ers to a 12-5 record and a chance to win it all in what ended up being an overtime loss to the now-dynasty Chiefs. Having the opportunity to speak to the media in advance of the Super Bowl, the young quarterback made it clear he knew Who was in charge.
“I never try to hold onto the football life so tightly. I’ve held it pretty loosely and see what God has in store for it,” he said. “It’s like, ‘Alright God, this is what I do, but I am who You say I am.’ I’ve allowed that to sort of take over my life and He’s taken me to where He needs me.”
“Jesus Christ is my Rock. He’s my Lord and Savior. That’s who I live for, and that bleeds into how I love my teammates well, how I can have a good mindset when things are going well, when things aren’t going well, in football, in life. That’s my identity.”
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