Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed his record-setting playoff run with an MVP performance in Super Bowl LIX. He threw and ran for 293 yards—including 72 rushing, the most ever by a quarterback in a Super Bowl—and led the Eagles to a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans.
“Still processing it, you know? It’s been a long journey,” said Hurts, who extended the NFL record for QBs with his 10th playoff rushing touchdown during Sunday’s game. “It’s been a journey of ups and downs and highs and lows, and I’ve always stayed true to it in the end—and having this vision of just being the best that I can be.”
Hurts also had one of the game’s highlight plays, a 46-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith that put the Eagles firmly in control of their rematch against Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs. Kansas City, which beat Philadelphia two years prior, was trying to become the first NFL team to win three straight Super Bowls.
The 26-year-old Hurts is now only one of four Black quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl. Only eight total have ever played in the big game. Get to know these history-making QBs below.
Doug Williams
Team: Washington Redskins
Year: 1987
Doug Williams broke several racial barriers during his career, becoming the first Black quarterback chosen in the first round of an NFL draft in 1978. He joined the Washington Redskins (now called the Commanders) as backup quarterback in 1986, and the next year was the starter against the John Elway–led Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII.
After trailing 10-0 early, Williams became the first player to throw four touchdown passes in a single Super Bowl quarter. Washington won 42-10, and Williams was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first Black quarterback to start in and win any NFL championship game, including those before the Super Bowl was established.
Steve McNair
Team: Tennessee Titans
Year: 2000
Steve McNair fell just one yard short of having a chance to become the second Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Spending most of his 13-year career with the Titans (he joined the franchise when it was still called the Houston Oilers), McNair led them to four playoff appearances, including Super Bowl XXXIV against the St. Louis Rams.
With Tennessee trailing 23-16 on the final play of regulation, McNair threw a 9-yard pass to wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who was tackled by Rams linebacker Mike Jones one yard shy of the end zone as time expired. In 2003, McNair became the first Black quarterback to win the Associated Press NFL MVP Award.
Donovan McNabb
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Year: 2005
Donovan McNabb set no shortage of team records during his 11 seasons with Philadelphia, including pass attempts (4,746), completions (2,801), passing yards (32,873), and touchdown passes (216). He led the team to eight postseasons, five conference championship games, and an appearance against the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XXXIX.
McNabb had the best season of his career heading into the Super Bowl, becoming the first quarterback to throw more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in one season. He kept the game close, but New England ultimately won the Super Bowl matchup, 24-21.
Colin Kaepernick
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Year: 2013
Years before famously taking a knee during the national anthem, Colin Kaepernick led San Francisco to Super Bowl XLVII after becoming starting quarterback in the middle of the 2012-13 season. The Baltimore Ravens ultimately defeated the 49ers, 34-31.
Kaepernick’s national anthem protest against racial inequality and police brutality in 2016 started a movement that drew praise and condemnation alike. After going unsigned as a free agent the next year, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league in retaliation for his protests. A confidential settlement was reached in 2019.
Russell Wilson
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Years: 2014 and 2015
Russell Wilson, who holds the record for most wins by a quarterback in his first nine seasons, was also the first of only two Black quarterbacks in NFL history to appear in multiple Super Bowls. He played in back-to-back league championships in 2014 and 2015.
Despite heading into Super Bowl XLVIII as the underdog against the Denver Broncos, Wilson led Seattle in a blowout 43-8 victory. The Seahawks attempted a repeat against the New England Patriots the next year but lost, 28-24, after Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted Wilson’s pass at the goal line in one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history.
Cam Newton
Team: Carolina Panthers
Year: 2016
Cam Newton made an immediate splash upon entering the NFL in 2011, setting rookie records for passing and rushing yards for a quarterback and becoming the first rookie quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. But his best season came in 2015-16, when he led the Panthers to a franchise-best 15-1 season and was named league MVP.
Carolina played the Denver Broncos that season in Super Bowl 50, during which 26-year-old Newton faced 39-year-old Peyton Manning. That set a record for largest age difference between two opposing Super Bowl quarterbacks. Newton was sacked six times in the defense-driven game with Denver winning, 24-10.
Patrick Mahomes
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Years: 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025
At age 29, Patrick Mahomes is a seasoned Super Bowl veteran, having led the Chiefs to five appearances in six seasons and already winning three championships. He secured his first Super Bowl ring in 2020 by leading Kansas City’s comeback in the final quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. The final score of Super Bowl LIV was 31-20.
The next year, Kansas City failed to achieve the repeat victory in Super Bowl LV, falling 31-9 to the Tom Brady–led Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the Chiefs rebounded in 2023, winning 38-35 over Philadelphia for Mahomes’ second bowl win.
In a 2024 rematch against San Francisco, the 49ers seemed poised to get revenge, holding the Chiefs to just three points in the first half to their 10. But Mahomes and his team solidified their status as the NFL’s newest dynasty with a 25-22 victory in overtime at Super Bowl LVIII.
After Kansas City’s loss in Super Bowl LIX, Mahomes is still chasing a fourth bowl victory that would tie him with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for second all-time. Tom Brady has the most with seven.
Jalen Hurts
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Year: 2023 and 2025
Mahomes’ 2023 win came at Jalen Hurts’ expense, as the then-24-year-old came up just short despite throwing for 304 yards and rushing for 70 more with Philadelphia.
The Eagles got their revenge on the Chiefs in 2025, with Hurts accounting for three touchdowns in a dominant 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX. Hurts set or tied multiple NFL playoff records in the Eagles’ run to the championship. He is one of only two players to rush for three or more touchdowns in more than one playoff games, along with former running back LeGarrette Blount.
Now 26, Hurts has come a long way since his rookie year in 2020, when he took over starting quarterback duties from Carson Wentz late in the year. The following season, he led the Eagles to a playoff berth, and the addition of wide receiver A.J. Brown in 2022 helped Philadelphia achieve its first 8-0 start in franchise history. Hurts finished the regular season with a 14-1 record and 35 touchdowns, tying Randall Cunningham’s single-season franchise record, before taking his team to the big game for the first time.
Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had spent 16 years as a journalist, writer, and communications professional. He is the author of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Fatal Jealousy. He is also an avid film buff, reader, and lover of great stories.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
