LAS VEGAS — When it comes to football, entertainment and potential drama, the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas seems to have everything the NFL could want for a jackpot finish to the season.
This winning hand starts with the last two teams standing and their quarterbacks, each an ace in his own way.
Crafty playmaker Patrick Mahomes — already a two-time Super Bowl MVP — and the Kansas City Chiefs (14-6) are bidding to become the league’s first repeat champions in 19 years while trying to solidify their claim to a dynasty with a third title in five years.
And though oddsmakers have listed the San Francisco 49ers (14-5) as slight favorites for Sunday’s game at Allegiant Stadium, they have the ultimate underdog story in Brock Purdy. After rising from “Mr. Irrelevant” status as the final pick of the 2022 draft, his rookie season ended in disappointing fashion a year ago with a serious injury and an NFC championship loss.
He returned this season, showing a knack for the comeback during the playoffs to lead the franchise to the brink of a record-tying sixth Super Bowl title — an accomplishment that would etch his name alongside former San Francisco quarterbacks Joe Montana (four titles) and Steve Young (one), both of them Pro Football Hall of Famers.