Another one in the books! The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, February 12, overtaking the Philadelphia Eagles with a score of 38 to 35.
The Chiefs nearly suffered a devastating blow in the second quarter when Patrick Mahomes seemingly reinjured his sprained right ankle. The quarterback, 27, limped off the field and received medical attention from trainers.
After Rihanna‘s halftime show, however, Mahomes returned for the third quarter and led a 75-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown by his teammate Isiah Pacheco. After the game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he believes the Texas Tech alum deserved to be named Most Valuable Player of the game — which he was.
“He’s MVP. That’s all that needs to be said,” Reid, 64, told reporters. “MVP. And you saw it tonight.”
The Chiefs last appeared in the big game in 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with quarterback Tom Brady in his final Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles, meanwhile, won Super Bowl LII in 2017.
This year’s matchup marked the first time two Black quarterbacks have ever faced off in the Super Bowl. “I think about all the rich history in this game, and to be part of such an historic event, historic moment, it’s special,” Jalen Hurts told reporters on Monday, February 6. The Texas native, 24, has played for the Eagles since 2020.
Mahomes, meanwhile, said he was thrilled to be part of a “historic” game. “So many people laid the foundation before us, and to be playing with a guy like Jalen, who I know is doing it the right way, it’s going to be a special moment that I hope lives on forever,” the QB said on Monday.
The Texas native was previously named Super Bowl MVP in 2019 after leading the Chiefs to victory over the San Francisco 49ers, becoming the youngest player to earn the title. “It’s this team. We have heart,” Mahomes told reporters after his team’s victory. “Coach pushes us to be the best people we can be and never give up.”
He then quipped: “I’ve been waiting to say it my whole life: I’m going to Disney World.”
Before the second half of Sunday’s game, fans watched Rihanna, 34, perform a medley of her greatest hits during the halftime show. The Grammy winner, 34, was announced as the headliner in September 2022. During a press conference on Thursday, February 9, the “Work” songstress revealed that she tested 39 versions of her set list before deciding on the final lineup.
“That was the hardest, hardest part — deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,” the Fenty Beauty mogul told reporters. “That’s what this show’s gonna be. It’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could have put it together. You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes … but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down. … Every little change counts, whether I want a guitar cut out, something muted, something added or just put in a whole new song, or take out a whole song.”
