History will be made when Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes face off in Super Bowl LVII on February 12th. In perfect storybook fashion, the two quarterbacks will be the first black quarterbacks to face each other in a Super Bowl in NFL history, in the middle of Black History Month.

The progression of black athletes has come so far, and these two quarterbacks will now serve as a continuation of that progression as they battle for the Lombardi trophy in Arizona.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been through a lot in his young career, from losing his starting job at Alabama to being drafted by a team that didn’t take well to the selection at first. He now gets his chance to win the ultimate prize in the sport he’s dedicated his life to.

Patrick Mahomes has of course already been to two Super Bowls, and already has a championship ring in his possession too, winning his first Super Bowl title in just his second season as an NFL starter. The Chiefs QB will be looking to double his tally against the Eagles after yet another MVP caliber season in Kansas City.

How many Black Quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl?

There have been three black quarterbacks to win the Superbowl since the league merger in 1970.

Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and he did so in style while playing for the then Washington Redskins in 1988. Williams was the first black quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl. In doing so he also broke the Super Bowl record for passing yards (340) and passing touchdowns in a single quarter (4).

Williams was named the Super Bowl MVP for his efforts as the Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10. He went on to throw for over 16,000 yards and 100 touchdowns in his playing career. Williams is now a senior advisor for the Washington Commanders.

Believe it or not, it would take another 26 seasons for the second black quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson helped the Seattle Seahawks to the big game in 2014, where they would annihilate the Denver Broncos 43-8 to win Super Bowl XLVIII. Wilson and the Seahawks would return to the Super Bowl the following season against the New England Patriots, where Wilson threw the now famous interception to Malcolm Butler on the goal line.

Patrick Mahomes is the third and final of the current list of black quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl. In just his second season as a starter in the NFL, Mahomes led the Chiefs to their second straight AFC Championship game. He ultimately led the Chiefs to victory in the Super Bowl, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in 2019.

History of Black Quarterbacks in the Super Bowl

Outside of the three Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, four other black QBs have played in the big game.

Colin Kaepernick, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair and Cam Newton have all made it to a Super Bowl, but ultimately fell short of the grand prize.

Kaepernick quarterbacked the San Francisco 49ers when they made the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. He had a strong performance, throwing for 302 yards and a touchdown and adding another touchdown through 62 rushing yards. Although the Niners trailed for much of the game, they came close with a 34-31 loss.

Steve McNair was just the second black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl after Doug Williams, and he came within a yard of winning too. In a rematch with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, McNair found Kevin Dyson in the dying seconds of the game, who was then cut down within inches of breaking the plane that would have given the Titans a Super Bowl victory.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was the third black QB to appear on the Super Bowl stage but was stifled by the New England Patriots defense. Cam Newton suffered the same fate against a brilliant Denver Broncos defense in Super Bowl 50, following an MVP campaign with the Carolina Panthers.

Jalen Hurts vs Patrick Mahomes set to make Super Bowl History

No two of the greatest black quarterbacks in NFL history have ever faced each other in a Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes will become the first black quarterbacks in NFL history to play against one another in Super Bowl LVII, breaking new ground for Black American athletes.

Patrick Mahomes has taken the NFL by storm since his arrival. In five years as a starter, Mahomes has led the Chiefs to five AFC Championship games as the AFCs number one seed. He has played in all five at Arrowhead Stadium, and just won his third, leading the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl appearance in five years.

The Chiefs quarterback threw for over 5,000 passing yards in the regular season for the second time in his career, a feat made sweeter by the fact that critics had claimed he wouldn’t be the same without All Pro talent Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins in the off-season. Mahomes now has over 24,000 career passing yards in just five years.

Patrick Mahomes 2022 stats included a league leading 41 touchdown passes and a career high completion percentage of 67.1%.

His challenger Jalen Hurts will be making his first Super Bowl appearance after taking many by surprise in Philadelphia. When he was originally drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, the Eagles already had Carson Wentz in place as the team's starting quarterback.

Many Eagles fans were confused by the pick, but it has since turned out to be incredible value for the Philly franchise, with Jalen Hurts succeeding Wentz in the starting role, and going from strength to strength in the two seasons since.

Jalen Hurts passing yards hit a new high in 2022, and while they might not meet the numbers of Mahomes, his 3,701 yards passing combined with 760 yards rushing make him every bit as important to his team's offensive success.

The Philadelphia Eagles QB stunned the league in 2021 by dominating on the ground with over 700 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, but question marks remained over his ability as a pure passer. Hurts developed in every area of his game, increasing his completion percentage from 61.3% in 2021 to 66.5% in 2022, and finishing the year with a 101.6 passer rating.

Jalen Hurts 2022 stats included 22 passing touchdowns and another 13 rushing in the regular season, as well as over 4,450 combined passing and rushing yards for the offense.

It should absolutely be celebrated that these two young quarterbacks are able to represent the black community in the Super Bowl in February, and they are sure to put on a show on the main stage.

Who is the favorite to win NFL MVP?

Patrick Mahomes is currently the heavy favorite to win the NFL MVP award, with -750 odds. The Chiefs QB appears set to win his second MVP award since coming into the league, after winning the prestigious trophy in 2019 following his 50-touchdown regular season. Chiefs’ fans have gotten used to their quarterback dominating year after year, and are likely now at the stage where they book the AFC Championship weekend into their calendars before the season even begins.

Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are second and third in the MVP race according to oddsmakers, and Jalen Hurts sits in fourth place on that list, with longshot odds at +1500.

Mahomes became the first Black American in NFL history to win the MVP award outright, after Steve McNair shared the award with Peyton Manning in 2003. For the young Chiefs QB to have accomplished what he did in his very first season as a starter was quite the phenomenon, drawing praise from the likes of Doug Williams and Warren Moon.

Warren Moon was the first black quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, receiving his honors in 2006 for a career that saw him throw for over 49,000 passing yards, and 291 passing touchdowns, as well as winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 1990.

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