Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, trusted tight end Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs are going for an unprecedented three-peat in a Super Bowl rematch.
This time, quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have Saquon Barkley rumbling along with them.
The AFC champion Chiefs (17-2) and NFC champion Eagles (17-3) will face off for the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years when they meet at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 9 at the Superdome in New Orleans, with Fox televising Super Bowl LIX.
In the 59th edition of the storied big game, Kansas City aims to become the first team to win three in a row.
“Each one of these is special,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said after being handed the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is named after his father. “Now we get to do something that’s never been done before. Chiefs Kingdom, we’re heading to New Orleans to make history.”
Mahomes rallied the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Eagles two years ago in the Phoenix area and a 25-22 overtime win against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas last season.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP and two-time league MVP led Kansas City to a 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship game Sunday, eliminating them in the postseason for the fourth time in five years.
“It’s not about one guy, it’s not about a couple guys, it’s about the whole team,” Mahomes said.
With pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watching on the field, smiling and nodding in approval, Kelce shouted: “Never satisfied, baby!” and then sang a line from “Get Down Tonight” by KC and The Sunshine Band.
Earlier, the Eagles ran past the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC title game behind seven rushing touchdowns, including three apiece from Barkley and Hurts.
It will be the 10th Super Bowl rematch and fifth within a five-year span. The winners of the four rematches within five years were the teams that won the first meeting, including the Chiefs over the 49ers last season.
Barkley had another 60-yard touchdown run plus two other rushing scores, finishing with 118 yards. His third score of 60 yards or longer in two weeks came on Philadelphia’s first play from scrimmage. No other player has three touchdowns of at least 60 yards in a playoff career.
“I always dreamed about it, but the dream wasn’t about just getting there, it was to win it,” Barkley said of the Super Bowl.
Playing with an injured knee, Hurts threw for 246 yards and one touchdown to go with his three rushing scores.
“How about our quarterback,” coach Nick Sirianni shouted from the stage after the presentation of the George Halas Trophy. “He’s a stud. I knew he would play that way. I knew it. Don’t doubt him. All he does is win.”
The 55 points Philadelphia scored are the most by any team in a conference championship game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
The Eagles are aiming for their second Super Bowl title in five tries. Backup quarterback Nick Foles led them to a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots seven years ago. Foles presented Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie with the Halas trophy.
“We’re there to win it,” Lurie said about going back to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs are 4-2 in the Super Bowl and making their fifth appearance in six years with coach Andy Reid, who will be facing his former team again.
Reid spent his first 14 seasons as an NFL head coach in Philadelphia and won more games than any leader in franchise history, but the Eagles couldn’t win it all with Reid. They were 1-4 in the NFC championship game and lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl during his tenure.