Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was not happy with his team's blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl.
With his team up 40-6 late in the second half and his first-ever Lombardi Trophy all but clinched, Hurts pouted and frowned on the sideline in new footage released by the NFL.
In the footage, Hurts' teammate, tight end Grant Calcaterra, told the quarterback, "You can crack a smile, too."
In the summer of 2023, months after that game, Hurts revealed that the wallpaper on his phone was a picture of him walking off the field disappointed as red and yellow confetti fell to the field.
Prior to the start of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Hurts revealed during an interview on Fox's pregame show he had kept that image as his phone wallpaper in the two years since the loss.
Now, even after winning a Super Bowl, Hurts doesn't plan on changing the wallpaper.
"I guess people anticipate me to change it, [but] it’s just a wallpaper. It’s a humble reminder for me," Hurts said Tuesday in an interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
"It’s gonna remain. There’s no urgency to change it."
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense shut out the Kansas City Chiefs for most of Sunday's Super Bowl, giving the team a 34-0 lead before Patrick Mahomes responded late in the second half.
One of the team’s top defensive stars believes his performance was worthy of the MVP award.
Mahomes was sacked a career-high six times during Sunday’s beatdown, and veteran edge rusher Josh Sweat led the charge with 2½ sacks, a career best.
The Chiefs’ offense was limited to 23 yards in the first half, and Mahomes was picked off twice, including rookie Cooper DeJean’s pick-six on his 22nd birthday.
The Eagles' defense had a field day. And Sweat, whose performance went beyond the stat line, believed that was enough to earn the MVP honor.
"I should’ve had it," Sweat said of the Super Bowl MVP, via The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I could’ve had it. It’s all good, though."
The last defensive player to be named Super Bowl MVP was Von Miller in the 2016 Super Bowl. Miller recorded six tackles, 2½ sacks and two forced fumbles during that game. Sweat registered six total tackles and 2½ sacks in Sunday’s game.
Instead, quarterback Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP.
In his second Super Bowl appearance, Hurts completed 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 72 yards and a touchdown to lead the Eagles to a 40-22 win and the team’s second Lombardi Trophy.
The Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback, who was named Super Bowl LIX MVP, honored the tradition of going to Disney World on Monday. He was seen on a float riding around Magic Kingdom in the Main Street USA parade as the park was packed with Eagles fans.
Hurts had 221 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in Philadelphia’s 40-22 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs. For that, he was named MVP of the game.
The tradition of Super Bowl MVPs going to Disney World started in 1987 after the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. Phil Simms, who was the MVP of that game, was filmed in Disney’s "What’s Next?" commercial.
He is asked, "Phil Simms, you have just won the Super Bowl. What are you doing next?"
"I’m gonna go to Disney World," he responded.
Hurts’ commercial featured his throw to Jahan Dotson in the first quarter, which was nearly a touchdown. Then, it showed the team’s tush push to get him into the end zone for the first score of the game. It also featured his bullseye pass to Devonta Smith for a touchdown.
"I’m going to Disney World!" Hurts said when asked what he was going to do next.
Hurts silenced the critics with his performance on Sunday. Philadelphia got to the Super Bowl two years ago and lost to the Chiefs in a game that Hurts played well in. Last season, Philly started 10-1 but struggled down the stretch and were bounced from the playoffs early.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said the adversity Hurts faced in 2023 helped build momentum for his moment in 2024.
"Adversity has a tendency to bring you together," he said. "I look back on last year and how last year ended, and I’m grateful. As crazy as it sounds, I’m grateful how last year ended because it shaped us to who we are today and where we’re standing today."
Hurts admitted that the journey is important when it comes to holding up the trophies at the end of the season and teams and players will ultimately be judged by the results on the field.
Jalen Hurts has faced his fair share of doubters during his football career.
He overcame getting benched at halftime of the championship game when he was at Alabama. He later transferred to Oklahoma, where he regained the starting quarterback role. NFL teams passed on him in the first round of the 2020 draft, but the Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on him in the second round.
He started off his professional football career in Philly as a backup. Even when he did get the opportunity to become an NFL starter, many still questioned whether Hurts had the tools to be a star. Hurts put all of those doubts to bed on Sunday when he was named the Super Bowl MVP after he led the Eagles to victory.
While Hurts wasn’t asked to do too much on a dominant defensive night for Philadelphia, he came through at nearly every opportunity when he was needed as the calm he has shown throughout his career was evident on football’s biggest stage.
He finished the game with 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also was credited with a rushing touchdown during the 40-22 win over the Chiefs that avenged a Super Bowl loss two years ago against Kansas City.
Nevertheless, in the seasons since that Super Bowl loss, some critics still questioned whether Hurts was holding back the Eagles offense.
Aside from an early interception against the Chiefs — his first since Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys — Hurts was nearly flawless against the Chiefs defense.
Moments after the clock struck zero, Hurts reflected on his personal journey.
"God is good. He is greater than all the highs and the lows. I think personally… myself I've just been able to use every experience and learn from it… the good, the bad, all of it… using it as fuel to pursue my own greatness. I couldn't do any of these things without the guys around me. We've got a special group this year. We were able to learn from the past," Hurts told FOX Sports.
Hurts is now just the fourth quarterback ever to lose his first Super Bowl start and go on to win one as a starter later in his career, joining Hall of Famers John Elway, Bob Griese and Len Dawson.
The Eagles won the franchise's first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy when the team defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Two of the biggest faces in Philadelphia both pointed to their faith after the Eagles earned a dominant win in Super Bowl LIX.
The Birds got their second Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night with a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, stopping their quest for three Super Bowl trophies in a row.
FOX broadcaster Tom Rinaldi met with head coach Nick Sirianni shortly after the clock hit triple zeroes, and Sirianni gave credit to the Lord for the victory.
"God’s blessed us very much," he said. "He gave us all the talents to be able to get here, so first and foremost, thanks to Him. … Thank God, thank you Jesus."
During the trophy presentation, he said to Terry Bradshaw, "All glory to God."
Darius Slay also thanked his "Lord and Savior" when speaking with the NFL Network after the game.
In speaking with Erin Andrews, Jalen Hurts, the game's MVP, said, "God is good. He's greater than all the highs and the lows."
The Chiefs, one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and a team that has obvious history in this game over the past two years, had just 34 total yards of offense in the first half as the Eagles defense was thriving against the offensive line.
Patrick Mahomes was never comfortable, and it showed as they punted their first three possessions. Mahomes threw two picks, one of which was taken to the house by rookie Cooper DeJean. The Eagles defense sacked Mahomes six times.
The Eagles' first Super Bowl came seven years ago when they took down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
The Philadelphia Eagles halted NFL history in its tracks, as they dominated the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, to win Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night.
The Chiefs were looking to be the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, but the Eagles, a team who lost to the Chiefs two seasons ago in the "Big Game," made sure to enact revenge.
Philadelphia now has its second Lombardi Trophy for the organization, having defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2018.
Those that believed the Eagles would win this game didn’t see it coming in this fashion, as they dominated the Chiefs in all three phases from the beginning of this game right until the end.
The Chiefs, one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and a team that has obvious history in this game over the past two years, had just 34 total yards of offense in the first half as the Eagles defense was thriving against the offensive line.
Mahomes was never comfortable, and it showed as they punted their first three possessions. Meanwhile, despite punting on the first possession, the Eagles were able to get in the end zone the second go-around.
After moving downfield, Jalen Hurts found Jahan Dotson for a 28-yard strike, which was initially believed to be the first touchdown of the game. But, after review, Dotson was spotted down at the one-yard line.
But you know what happens there.
Hurts was tush-pushed into the end zone to put the Eagles up 7-0, and they didn’t look back after that.
It was clear throughout both halves how uncomfortable Mahomes was, as the Eagles’ pass rush continued to get home no matter how many players were sent by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Mahomes was sacked at most five times in a single game in 2024, and the Eagles tallied six on the night, showcasing their domination. But it wasn’t just the defensive line – the secondary was putting in work, too.
It came in the first half when rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean, who celebrated his 22nd birthday, picked off Mahomes on a scrambling throw and ran it all the way back for a 38-yard pick-six, which put the Eagles up 17-0.
Mahomes would throw yet another interception on the first play of a drive already deep in their own territory late in the second quarter. Two plays later, Hurts found A.J. Brown, which he did in Super Bowl LVII as well, for a touchdown that almost felt like a dagger at 24-0.
When the second half kicked off, the Chiefs were already in desperation mode, and five plays into the first drive, they were forced to punt. And after the Eagles kicked a field goal, Mahomes saw his fourth-and-short pass knocked down as he turned it back over to the Eagles.
Then, the true dagger was seen in this game, as DeVonta Smith, who grew up an hour from New Orleans in Amite City, Louisiana, broke out a 46-yard touchdown catch on a perfectly thrown ball from Hurts.
At 34-0, the deficit was insurmountable for Mahomes and the Chiefs, even if rookie Xavier Worthy found the end zone on a 24-yard pass from Mahomes.
But ultimately, the Chiefs were never close to a comeback as the Eagles kept making plays, and never let the classic "Mahomes Magic" get put to work.
History wasn't made in New Orleans on Sunday, but the Eagles will forever be the team that halted what seemed to be the unstoppable Chiefs.
The Eagles are not just flying -- they're soaring as Super Bowl champions yet again.
The Philadelphia Eagles halted NFL history in its tracks, as they dominated the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, to win Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday night.
The Chiefs were looking to be the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, but the Eagles, a team who lost to the Chiefs two seasons ago in the "Big Game," made sure to enact revenge.
Philadelphia now has its second Lombardi Trophy for the organization, having defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2018.
Those that believed the Eagles would win this game didn’t see it coming in this fashion, as they dominated the Chiefs in all three phases from the beginning of this game right until the end.
The Chiefs, one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, and a team that has obvious history in this game over the past two years, had just 34 total yards of offense in the first half as the Eagles defense was thriving against the offensive line.
Mahomes was never comfortable, and it showed as they punted their first three possessions. Meanwhile, despite punting on the first possession, the Eagles were able to get in the end zone the second go-around.
After moving downfield, Jalen Hurts found Jahan Dotson for a 28-yard strike, which was initially believed to be the first touchdown of the game. But, after review, Dotson was spotted down at the one-yard line.
But you know what happens there.
Hurts was tush-pushed into the end zone to put the Eagles up 7-0, and they didn’t look back after that.
It was clear throughout both halves how uncomfortable Mahomes was, as the Eagles’ pass rush continued to get home no matter how many players were sent by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Mahomes was sacked at most five times in a single game in 2024, and the Eagles tallied six on the night, showcasing their domination. But it wasn’t just the defensive line – the secondary was putting in work, too.
It came in the first half when rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean, who celebrated his 22nd birthday, picked off Mahomes on a scrambling throw and ran it all the way back for a 38-yard pick-six, which put the Eagles up 17-0.
Mahomes would throw yet another interception on the first play of a drive already deep in their own territory late in the second quarter. Two plays later, Hurts found A.J. Brown, which he did in Super Bowl LVII as well, for a touchdown that almost felt like a dagger at 24-0.
When the second half kicked off, the Chiefs were already in desperation mode, and five plays into the first drive, they were forced to punt. And after the Eagles kicked a field goal, Mahomes saw his fourth-and-short pass knocked down as he turned it back over to the Eagles.
Then, the true dagger was seen in this game, as DeVonta Smith, who grew up an hour from New Orleans in Amite City, Louisiana, broke out a 46-yard touchdown catch on a perfectly thrown ball from Hurts.
At 34-0, the deficit was insurmountable for Mahomes and the Chiefs, even if rookie Xavier Worthy found the end zone on a 24-yard pass from Mahomes.
But ultimately, the Chiefs were never close to a comeback as the Eagles kept making plays, and never let the classic "Mahomes Magic" get put to work.
History wasn't made in New Orleans on Sunday, but the Eagles will forever be the team that halted what seemed to be the unstoppable Chiefs.
The Eagles are not just flying -- they're soaring as Super Bowl champions yet again.
President Donald Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl, and the stars playing in the game are aware of his attendance.
Trump's expected presence sparked an enthusiastic reaction among multiple Kansas City Chiefs players, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and even Gracie Hunt, the daughter of the team's owner.
However, one star on the opposing Philadelphia Eagles gave a more lukewarm answer about Trump's attendance.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked how he feels about the president attending the game while talking to reporters Tuesday.
When Hurts was asked a follow-up question about whether Trump being there would put more pressure on him, the quarterback responded, "No."
Hurts turned down an opportunity to play golf with former President Barack Obama at the end of October.
Hurts claimed during a press conference the reason he didn't golf with Obama was because of a clause in his contract that prohibited the quarterback from playing golf.
However, no such clause actually exists in his five-year, $255 million contract. An Eagles spokesperson told The Philadelphia Inquirer there is an unofficial agreement between Hurts and owner Jeffrey Lurie in which the quarterback doesn't become "golf-obsessed."
Still, Hurts called Obama an "all-time leader" in October.
Hurts was not the only Eagles player to address Trump's attendance Sunday.
Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata said Tuesday Trump attending was "cool" but dismissed it beyond that.
"That's cool, but Donald is not on that field. That's cool, but, again, that's blocking out the noise," Mailata said. "What am I going to do thinking about Donald Trump? How is that going to make me win the game?"
Mahomes and Kelce expressed more excitement for Trump's attendance when they were asked.
"I think, you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know. And having the president there, you know, it’s the best country in the world. So, that’d be pretty cool," Kelce said.
Mahomes gave his thoughts on Trump attending the game to reporters Wednesday.
"It's always cool to be able to play in front of a sitting president," Mahomes said. "Someone that is at the top position in our country."
Earlier Wednesday, when Trump was asked who he expected to win the Super Bowl, the president didn't give a definitive answer but alluded to Mahomes' success.
"I don’t want to say, but there’s a certain quarterback that seems to be a pretty good winner," Trump said when asked which team he's rooting for.
While Trump didn't identify Mahomes by name, he has expressed fondness and respect for the quarterback and his wife Brittany in recent months.
Mahomes recognized Trump was probably talking about him and gave his thoughts about the cryptic praise from the president.
"It's cool to hear that he's seen me play football and respects the game that I play," Mahomes told reporters Wednesday.
After the NFL's conference championships wrapped Jan. 26, Trump sent a congratulatory post to the Chiefs on Truth Social, while neglecting the Eagles.
However, Trump did acknowledge the Eagles in a more recent post expressing his excitement for the game and even hinted at praise for Hurts and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
"Two great Quarterbacks in this game. Also, an unbelievable running back, and the absolute best tight end in football (Ever!). Incredible coaching!" Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday.
Jalen Hurts is the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eric Christian Smith/AP Images
Jalen Hurts will play in his second Super Bowl on Sunday, February 9.
The Eagles' quarterback has a supportive family, including his dad, who's also his former coach.
Hurts is also recently engaged to his college sweetheart, Bryonna Burrows.
Football seems to run in Jalen Hurts' family. His older brother was a college quarterback, and their father coached them both in high school.
And on Sunday, Hurts' parents will watch their son compete in his second Super Bowl.
"It's kind of overwhelming at times, but I'm just happy for him and his team," Averion Hurts, Sr., the NFL star's father, told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC.
Hurts' family is also growing. He recently got engaged to Bryonna Burrows, whom he's known since college.
Here's who will cheer Hurts on when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Jalen Hurts grew up playing football. His dad was his coach.
Jalen Hurts at an Alabama Crimson Tide game in 2016.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Averion Hurts, Sr. is the head football coach at Channelview High School near Houston. All three of his children attended the school, and he coached his two sons, Averion Jr. and Jalen.
"I always talk about how impactful it was on my life, being a coach's kid," Jalen told GQ Sports in 2021. "Football is something that's deeply rooted into my family."
Meanwhile, his mother, Pamela, is a school counselor who said she knew her son would be a professional athlete from a young age.
She's especially proud of Hurts' all-woman management team. "They rock," she recently told Houston's Fox26. "Sometimes women don't get the opportunities that men get."
Jalen credited his mother and management team for inspiring him to wear cleats with the words "Women Empowerment" in 2021. The shoes were part of the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative. Hurts also showed his support for women when he spotlighted Billie Jean King's Women's Sports Foundation, which invests in women's and girls' sports.
"My mom, she raised me with high character and to do things the right way," he told ESPN in 2021. "She's a counselor back home, and that's a perfect platform to impact the people around you, to impact kids around you."
His siblings are athletes, too.
Averion Jr., Kynnedy, Jalen, and Pamela Hurts in 2022.
Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Jalen's older brother, Averion Hurts, Jr., was also a quarterback at Channelview High School. Their father told Houston's Fox 26 in 2016 that the brothers played baseball, which helped develop their arms.
After his brother became a quarterback, "Jalen just kind of followed in that mold," Averion Hurts, Sr. said.
In 2016, both brothers were starting quarterbacks at the college level, Averion Jr. at Texas Southern University and Jalen at the University of Alabama.
According to his Instagram, Averion Jr. is now following in his father's footsteps and coaching at Lee High School in Baytown, Texas.
In 2021, Hurts told GQ Sports that his sister, who played high school volleyball then, might get a college scholarship. Still, he said he set aside $70,000 for her tuition just in case.
"I know she has dreams and aspirations to do special things in her life, whatever it is," he said of his sister in a 2021 ESPN interview. "And I want her to know that she can do anything she puts her mind to, and know that her brother has her back."
Hurts met Bryonna Burrows at the University of Alabama when they were students.
Jalen Hurts and Bryonna Burrows at the NFC Championship Game in 2023.
Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Hurts became a freshman quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2016. (During his senior year, he'd transfer to the University of Oklahoma.)
Meanwhile, his fiancée Burrows graduated from the same university in 2017 after studying Spanish and political science. She went on to work for IBM.
The couple dated on and off for several years, Essence reported in 2023.
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Hurts in 2020.
Jalen Hurts playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
Hurts told GQ Sports that seeing his family's reaction to the draft still gives him chills.
In 2024, Hurts and Burrows got engaged.
Bryonna Burrows and Jalen Hurts attend the "Evolution of the Black Quarterback" premiere in 2024.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Prime Video
The two have mostly kept their relationship out of the spotlight, but Burrows watched the football star defeat the San Francisco 49ers at the 2023 NFC Championship Game.
In September 2024, Hurts and Burrows shared their engagement photos with Essence. The romantic scene was set near the water, complete with roses, candles, and a violinist.
A few days later, the newly engaged couple appeared together at Prime Video's "Evolution of the Black Quarterback premiere."
The Philadelphia Eagles’ success in short-yard situations has yet to be duplicated.
The so-called "tush push" took the NFL by storm a few years ago. Quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center, and as he snaps the ball, he’s pushed across the line to gain or the goal line for a new set of downs or a touchdown.
It was the success of the play that helped them extend drives and land the Eagles in the Super Bowl two years ago. Philadelphia is back in the Super Bowl, and the "tush push" is firmly on the mind of NFL fans ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
But Hurts admitted he doesn’t fall into the hoopla around the play and keeps the name of it "very standard."
"That’s what you call it. I call it the quarterback sneak," Hurts said. "I keep it very standard."
"Don’t punish a team that strategically does it well," Vincent said during an appearance on "Pro Football Talk Live" at the time.
Whether you call it the "tush push" or the "brotherly shove," it seems the play will be in the spotlight once again.
The Washington Commanders failed to stop it multiple times and their consistent offsides in the NFC Championship nearly caused the refs to award Philadelphia a score.
It will be up to the Kansas City Chiefs to load up its front in an attempt to stop it this time.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts turned heads on Monday as he and the rest of the team arrived in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hurts wore a black sweatshirt with a photo of the cleats that got him in trouble with the NFL earlier this season. The picture had black bars over the controversial footwear.
The star player was fined $5,628 by the NFL for mismatched cleats that were not "constitutional team colors," The Associated Press reported in December. Hurts wore Jordan Brand dark green and Kelly green cleats for the Eagles’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Jordan Brand announced at the time it would pay the fine.
"We’re paying the fine. You can’t ban greatness," the company wrote.
Hurts said at the time he was set to wear Jordan Columbia 11s, but the shoes didn’t arrive in time. He said he had the mismatched cleats with him for a photoshoot and added that he liked the look enough to play his next game.
Hurts also wore mismatched cleats on Oct. 28 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hurts is one of 19 quarterbacks who have been able to get back to the Super Bowl after losing his first start. With a win, he would join Len Dawson, Bob Griese and John Elway as quarterbacks who won the Super Bowl after losing their debut.
Hurts and the Eagles will play the Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday. Fans can tune into FOX to watch the game or stream it live on Tubi.
As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to travel to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, the team's star quarterback is clearing the air. During last week's postgame media availability, Jalen Hurts made a seemingly offhanded comment about Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.
Hurts said that Nick Sirianni "let me out of my straitjacket" when asked about his strong performance during the NFC Championship game victory over the Washington Commanders and his overall experience playing for Sirianni.
During his media availability on Tuesday, Sirianni fielded questions about the "straightjacket" comment.
"I think he was having fun after the game. We've been winning a couple different ways this year. . . . But I know this, and he's said this plenty of times, he doesn't care how we win, I don't care how we win, as long as we win. And we do everything we can do to be able to win," Sirianni said on Jan. 28 during the press conference.
"And as we've talked a lot, there have been different circumstances of how games have [gone] and where we've been at late in games. But we found a way to win and rattle off 15 out of 16. So, again, thought he was having fun with that after the game. And loved how he went out there and executed and prepared for this game."
Throughout much of the 2023 season, Hurts and Sirianni reportedly navigated through a somewhat tense relationship. Last August, a report from ESPN cited a source with direct knowledge who described the last season's dynamic between the coach and quarterback as "fractured."
After starting the 2023 campaign with a 10-1 record, the Eagles went on to win just one of their final six games. Philadelphia subsequently suffered a 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round. The early playoff exit came on the heels of the Eagles' appearance in the Super Bowl the prior season.
However, the end of the 2024 regular season and the postseason have been vastly different for Philly. Sirianni, Hurts and the Eagles were presented with the George Halas Trophy last Sunday after the team won the conference title and clinched a spot in Super Bowl LIX.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Eagles will meet in the big game on Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome. Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET with Kevin Burkhardt doing play-by-play and Tom Brady as the color commentator in his first Super Bowl as a broadcaster. Tubi will stream Super Bowl LIX on its platform live in 4K. Viewers will be able to watch the game when they sign up via email registration.
During the Philadelphia Eagles’ beatdown of the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship, there was an odd moment at the goal line in the second half when Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu tried to stop a "tush push" by jumping over the offensive line.
But he was called for encroachment … multiple times.
"Inside the NFL" caught the moment Luvu leaped over the Eagles’ offensive line without the ball being snapped. And, because he did it so many times, referees stepped in.
What was said, though, shocked many people, including Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
"Encroachment, defense, No. 4," the referee said. "Washington has been advised that, at some point, the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again."
"Award a score? You can give them a touchdown?" Daniels responded on the sideline.
Although it worked out in their favor, the Eagles' defenders watching their offense about to punch in another score never heard of the rule either.
"Next time they do that, they award a score?" Darius Slay asked fellow defensive back Cooper DeJean.
"The refs can give us a touchdown I guess if they do it again or something," DeJean responded.
The obscure rule is found in the NFL Rulebook as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 4.
"PALPABLY UNFAIR ACT: A player or substitute shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair. 51 Rule 12 Penalty: For a palpably unfair act: Offender may be disqualified. The Referee, after consulting the officiating crew, enforces any such distance penalty as they consider equitable and irrespective of any other specified code penalty. The Referee may award a score."
The rule is for obvious unfair situations, and referees felt Luvu consistently jumping the gun on his leap to stop Jalen Hurts and the tush push was too much because the Eagles didn’t snap the ball.
Hurts eventually got into the end zone on a tush push for his third rushing touchdown against the Commanders in the 55-23 rout.
Nicole Lynn, the agent for Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts, got the last laugh on Sunday when the team won the NFC Championship to advance to Super Bowl LIX.
Lynn fired back at a wild remark made by ESPN NFL analyst Dominique Foxworth earlier in the season following Hurts’ four total touchdowns in a 55-23 romp over the Washington Commanders.
"That pretty privilege paying off," she wrote on X.
Hurts was 20-for-28 with 246 passing yards and a touchdown pass and had 16 rushing yards with three touchdowns. The touchdown pass was thrown to A.J. Brown.
Foxworth had described Hurts as having benefited from "pretty privilege" earlier in the season after the quarterback fired back at reporters following the team’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hurts had been criticized for his passing numbers slipping year over year. He told the media at the time, "that’s what they wanted to see?"
"He got up at the press conference after the game, and he acted like he was Josh Allen," Foxworth said. "Look at this man with his Kangol looking like Nino Brown… with three thousand million trillion dollars worth of diamonds on his neck, and he acting like he just went for 400 yards for three weeks in a row.
"Man, you had one good week passing. And everyone forgets it when he starts batting his eyes at you."
"Pretty privilege" or not, the Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years and have to meet a similar nemesis in the Kansas City Chiefs.
The major difference between the last time the two teams met is that Philadelphia has Saquon Barkley in the backfield.
The Philadelphia Eagles are back in the Super Bowl after the dynamic duo of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley combined for six rushing touchdowns in the 55-23 beatdown of the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship.
Philadelphia will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Hurts and the Eagles were in the "Big Game" in 2022, losing to the Chiefs in Arizona. But what the Eagles didn't have then was Barkley, the NFL's leading rusher in 2024, and he showed why he might be the missing piece to win the Vince Lombardi after an incredible performance at home.
On just the first offensive snap for the Eagles in this game, following an 18-play Commanders opening drive that ended with a field goal, Barkley ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run to immediately put the Eagles up 7-3 after the extra point.
The Commanders’ response wasn’t a good one as receiver Dyami Brown fumbled after a Zack Baun punch while tackling his opponent. And unfortunately for Washington, fumbles became a bad trend throughout this game.
The last time these two teams played, the Commanders turned the ball over five times. However, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders ended up winning on a last-second drive in a 22-point fourth quarter.
But the comeback didn’t happen this time with the turnovers, as Jeremy McNichols fumbled on a kick return near the end of the first half and Austin Ekeler fumbled in the second half.
And all of those turnovers led to touchdowns.
Barkley scored from four yards out after the Brown fumble, and Hurts got his first tush push score of the game to make it 20-12 near halftime. He found A.J. Brown for his only passing touchdown of the contest to take a solid 27-12 lead into the locker room.
The second half, though, is where things unraveled for Dan Quinn’s Commanders. Hurts’ second touchdown on the ground was a nine-yard score in the third quarter to make it 35-14. And despite Daniels scoring on the ground himself to cut the lead a bit, Ekeler’s fumble saw another tush push touchdown for Hurts to make it three on the night.
With desperation on their sideline, Quinn had no choice but to force Daniels to go for it on every fourth down as the fourth quarter began, and Nolan Smith’s sack on 4th-and-11 ultimately led Barkley to his third touchdown with a 4-yard run, which basically sealed the deal at 48-23.
The last-ditch effort from Daniels in the fourth was a deep ball down the left sideline to Terry McLaurin, who scored a 36-yard touchdown earlier in the game, but it was intercepted in the end zone by rookie Quinyon Mitchell.
The cherry on top for Philadelphia was, with the backups in the game, Will Shipley scoring a touchdown from two yards out after ripping a 57-yard run earlier in the drive.
Celebrations ensued for the home team, and rightfully so after incredible performances from Hurts (20-for-28 for 246 yards), Barkley (15 rushes for 118 yards) and Brown (six catches for 96 yards).
For the Commanders, Zach Ertz, the former Eagles tight end, certainly did his part with 11 catches for 104 yards. Daniels finished 29-for-48 for 255 yards while rushing for 48 yards on six carries.
The Washington Commanders fumbled the ball away for their third turnover of the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and some chaos ensued as Saquon Barkley got the team down to the goal line.
Barkley busted free for a 22-yard run on the third play of the drive and got the Eagles within one yard of adding to their lead.
Jalen Hurts tried to break into the end zone but was stopped. Commanders defensive lineman Jonathan Allen was called for a defensive offsides. Then, after getting stopped, Washington committed three straight penalties to try to stop what they knew was coming.
Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu tried to jump the play two straight times. He was called for encroachment penalties. Then Allen was called for encroachment. The Commanders were then warned that officials could reward the Eagles with a score if they purposely kept trying to jump the play and pick up a penalty.
After Allen’s foul, Hurts was able to get pushed into the end zone for his fourth touchdown of the game. Philadelphia went up 41-23 with 12:24 to go in the game.
Hurts had the Eagles rolling all game long. He ran the ball into the end zone three times and threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown earlier in the game.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the regular season with 630 rushing yards. Hurts' running ability is a key part of the Eagles' offense, but it remains unclear how much of a threat his legs will be in this weekend's NFC championship game.
Hurts appeared to tweak his knee during last week's divisional round playoff game when he was awkwardly pulled to the ground as he was sacked by a Los Angeles Rams defender. The Eagles signal-caller entered the blue medical tent after the Eagles punted the ball, but he returned to the huddle on Philly's ensuing offensive possession.
Although Hurts did not miss a play in the 28-22 win over the Rams, his movement appeared to be limited for the remainder of the game.
The Eagles will meet the Commanders in the conference title game Sunday, and Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Hurts' possible limitations won't prevent his unit from playing an attacking style.
The Eagles' offensive scheme typically calls for a few designed quarterback runs a game. If Hurts does run from the pocket at any point this Sunday, Whitt plans to make the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback pay.
"We've had a number of these guys that we've had to prepare for," Whitt told reporters Thursday. "The one thing is, is if he's going to run the ball, and if the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we're going to treat him like a running back, and we're going to hit him that way.
"So, that's their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don't, they'll keep him in the pocket. So, that's what we're going to do."
Hurts ran for 39 yards and a touchdown when the Eagles met the Commanders in Week 11. When the NFC East divisional foes met for a second time in the regular season, Hurts left with a head injury after a 13-yard run. He did not return to the lineup, and the Eagles lost, 36-33.
"Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "He's running with the football. They'll try to tackle him. We ultimately are cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.
"I wouldn't expect anything else. Jalen knows how to take care of himself. We know how to help him do that as well as far as the scheme goes."
Hurts practiced Wednesday, although he was listed as a limited participant. The Eagles are favored to win the NFC title game. If the Commanders do pull off the upset, Jayden Daniels would be the first rookie quarterback in history to start in the Super Bowl.
Saquon Barkley was called upon to deliver in a big spot.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back lined up next to quarterback Jalen Hurts in the shotgun formation with less than five minutes to play in the divisional round playoff game on Sunday. Hurts looked over at Barkley, barely seeing through the snowstorm that plagued Lincoln Financial Field. The superstar athlete looked back at his quarterback and said, "I got this."
Barkley took the handoff and ran like he was shot out of a cannon. He hit the hole, avoided a tackle and ran for a 78-yard touchdown. He knew he would score from about 30 yards out.
The Eagles’ faithful cheered as they watched their team hang on against the Los Angeles Rams for the remainder of the game and win, 28-22.
Barkley, who was going to be the driving force of the offense with the weather taking a turn for the worse, ran for a record 205 yards on 26 carries. He had two touchdowns in the game, including a 62-yard score in the first quarter.
"The elements were great, but the atmosphere was even better," Barkley told NBC after the game. "Our fans are amazing. It was a close one, but that’s playoff football, and at the end of the day, we got the job done."
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford gave Los Angeles everything it had in the final minutes. A 10-play, 70-yard drive after Barkley scored in the fourth quarter led to a touchdown pass to Coby Parkinson. It brought the game to within one score.
The Rams got a stop and were able to get the ball back for one final drive. Stafford got Los Angeles down the field thanks to an incredible catch from Puka Nacua.
But the Eagles’ defense held strong and forced an incompletion on fourth down to force a turnover and solidify the game.
Philadelphia’s defense came up big. Aside from the stop on the final Rams drive, they forced two fumbles that led to Eagles field goals. Six points proved to be the difference in the game.
Hurts was 15-of-20 with 128 passing yards and 70 rushing yards. He had a 44-yard rushing touchdown to start the game but got banged up in the second quarter that stymied his ability to run for the rest of the game.
Stafford was 26-of-44 with 324 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He was sacked five times, including on the final drive that put more pressure on them to get the first down.
Philadelphia moves to the NFC Championship Game to face the Washington Commanders next Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles are flying through to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, as they beat the Green Bay Packers, 22-10, in their wild card game on Sunday night.
The Eagles will await their opponent in the Divisional Round, as both the Washington Commanders-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams-Minnesota Vikings games need to be played.
This was not a game to remember for Green Bay, and it started on the opening kickoff when Keisean Nixon fumbled after a hit by Oren Burks, leading to an Eagles recovery on the 28-yard line.
Just three plays later, Jalen Hurts, who got through concussion protocol after missing the team’s final two games, had all the time in the world in his pocket before firing a dart to Jahan Dotson for his first touchdown of the season.
Now, while that was all the offense the Eagles got in the first half other than a Jake Elliott field goal later in the first quarter, Jordan Love and the Packers just never found a rhythm.
The first two offensive drives ended in punts, and trying to get something positive going, Love launched a ball deep down the right sideline intended for Dontayvion Wicks, but it was instead intercepted by Darius Slay.
That was Love’s first of two interceptions in the first half, as Zack Baun jumped a route ran by Malik Heath and picked him off late in the second quarter. And to add insult to injury, the Packers’ first true drive into Eagles territory ended in Brandon McManus missing a 38-yard field goal – his first career miss in the postseason.
But when the second half began, a 10-0 game wasn’t a big enough lead for the Eagles to say the game was in the bag. The Packers were able to finally get on the board when their opening drive of the half ended with a field goal made this time, though they certainly wanted seven points instead.
Philadelphia, though, quickly responded with a touchdown drive that was capped by an angry catch-and-run by tight end Dallas Goedert for 24 yards, as he stiffed armed Carrington Valentine multiple times as he tried to tackle him down the sideline.
With a 16-3 deficit, the Packers were in desperation mode even with it being the third quarter because they couldn’t get anything going offensively. That’s where Josh Jacobs, their workhorse starting running back, answered the call.
On second-and-10 from Philadelphia’s 32-yard line, Jacobs bulldozed his way through multiple Eagles players, throwing them to the ground and rushing to the goal line where it looked like he had gotten in to close the gap. Replay review would spot him down at the one, but the Packers would give it right back to him to bust into the end zone to make it 16-10 with more than enough time to rectify previous mistakes.
But as the Eagles have been doing all season, they answer in the face of adversity, and they kicked a couple field goals and forced two turnovers, including Love’s third interception of the game, to ice their victory.
Looking at the box score, Hurts was 13-for-21 for 131 yards with two touchdowns, while Saquon Barkley led the game with 119 rushing yards on 25 carries. And though he didn’t get in the end zone, DeVonta Smith was the leading receiver in the game with four catches for 55 yards.
Love was 20-for-33 for 212 yards with his three interceptions, while Jacobs rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries. He lost receivers Jayden Reed, who had four catches for 46 yards, and Romeo Doubs in this game due to injury. Packers center Josh Myers was also seen carted off the field, as injuries piled up at the wrong time.
The Philadelphia Eagles have Super Bowl aspirations, but they will very likely need their franchise quarterback to get them there.
However, Birds fans collectively held their breath a couple weeks ago when Jalen Hurts went down with a concussion.
The head injury caused Hurts to miss the final two games of the season. It should be noted that the Eagles rested plenty of starters in their season finale against the New York Giants, but even if they hadn't, Hurts would have been shelved, since he's still in concussion protocol.
But, Philly did receive good news on Wednesday, as he hit the practice field for the first time since the injury.
Hurts was spotted throwing and without a helmet on; thus, he didn't log a full participation, but it's at least a step forward ahead of the biggest game of the season.
The Eagles earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC, winning the East and going 14-3 on the season. But they certainly do not have an easy matchup.
They will host the Green Bay Packers, who are the seventh seed for the second year in a row; that didn't stop them from beating the Cowboys in Dallas last year, though, and this year's 11-6 squad has much more experience than last.
Philly did win both of their games without Hurts this year, although in the game in which he got hurt, they did fall to the Washington Commanders.
Further good news for the Birds is that their game isn't until Sunday, as two games will be on Saturday. So, Hurts will have one more day to be cleared.
Hurts threw for 2,903 yards, the lowest since he became a full-time starter in 2021. He did, however, run for 14 touchdowns thanks to the always unstoppable Brotherly Shove. His five interceptions were also the lowest of his career.
