Jalen Hurts began the season facing scrutiny over his play and questions about the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive capabilities. He ended it hoisting the Super Bowl MVP trophy after leading the Eagles to their second championship in franchise history.
In a commanding 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Hurts delivered a performance that silenced his critics and solidified his place among the league’s elite quarterbacks.
Hurts was nearly flawless, completing 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His first touchdown pass gave Philadelphia a dominant 24-0 lead before halftime, and his second extended the advantage to 34-0, making a Chiefs comeback virtually impossible.
Kansas City managed to put up 22 points in the final 16 minutes, but by then, the Eagles had built an insurmountable lead.
On the ground, Hurts continued to make history. He ran for 72 yards, setting a new Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback. The previous mark—70 yards—had been set by Hurts himself in Super Bowl LVII, where the Eagles fell short against the Chiefs.
This time, the lead was so secure that backup quarterback Kenny Pickett entered the game to take the final kneel-downs, allowing Hurts to preserve his record-breaking performance.
Super Bowl MVP awards have overwhelmingly gone to quarterbacks, with seven of the last nine winners coming from the position. Patrick Mahomes, Hurts’ opponent on Sunday, had claimed three of those MVP titles. But on this night, Mahomes was not the best quarterback on the field.
“He just keeps getting better,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said of Hurts. “He knows how to win. He does a great job of blocking out all the outside noise. I find it funny when people say, ‘Well, Jalen is only good because he has a great team around him.’ That’s football—you can’t be great without the greatness of others. Jalen can’t do it alone. He needs A.J. [Brown], he needs that offensive line, he needs Saquon [Barkley], and vice versa. The reason Saquon had a great year is because of the attention Jalen commands in the run game. Jalen is special, and the criticism blows my mind. He works his butt off and just keeps improving.”
The Chiefs made a concerted effort to limit Barkley, holding him to 97 scrimmage yards on 31 touches. But their focus on the Eagles’ star running back allowed Hurts and Philadelphia’s relentless defense to take over.
For Hurts, this performance was a defining moment in his career. Two years ago, he played well in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to Kansas City but made a costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Last season, Philadelphia started 10-1 before collapsing down the stretch, leading to questions about Hurts' relationship with Sirianni.
A 2-2 start to this season only intensified those concerns, especially after Hurts turned the ball over seven times in those first four games.
The doubts surrounding him weren’t new. Before the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss two years ago, Hurts had already faced adversity. He was famously benched at halftime of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game while playing for Alabama.
But every setback prepared him for this moment.
Even in victory, Hurts wasn’t perfect. He threw an interception in the first half that cost the Eagles potential points. However, after his early-season struggles with turnovers, he made it a point to correct his mistakes. Since then, he had only four turnovers leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl triumph.
Hurts’ defense had his back throughout the game, delivering a dominant performance that included six sacks, two interceptions—one of which was returned for a touchdown—and a forced fumble. Philadelphia’s defensive unit, led by coordinator Vic Fangio, dismantled Mahomes and the Chiefs, ensuring that Hurts’ strong outing would not go to waste.
As the final whistle blew, Hurts stood on the field, watching the confetti fall around him, reflecting on the biggest win of his career.
“God is good—even in the highs and the lows,” Hurts said after receiving the Pete Rozelle Trophy. “I couldn’t be here without my teammates. The effort, the determination everybody displayed to get to this point—it’s never been about just one of us. It’s about what we do together and how we respond to challenges. Hell of a game today.”
Hurts’ journey to this moment had been filled with doubt, setbacks, and criticism. But on the grandest stage, he delivered a performance that proved why he is the leader of the Eagles and now, a Super Bowl champion.
