Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is now a Super Bowl champion — for the first time in his football career. With an impressive performance throughout Sunday night’s game, the 26-year-old led his team to a blowout 40-22 victory over the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

‘Turning my weaknesses and making them my strengths’

After being crowned MVP, Hurts reflected on how he navigated the highs and lows of his journey thus far, growing both as a person and as a player in the league, one game at a time.

“It’s been a fun ride,” Hurts said at the postgame press conference, according to NBC News. “I’ve embraced every step. I took great pride in never backing down from a challenge. Always turning my negatives into positives. Turning my weaknesses and making them my strengths. It’s taken a great effort to evolve my game over time and just continue to grow and improve.”

 

Hurts becomes part of NFL history

From college to the pros, Hurts has experienced wins and losses that have led him to this point in his career. In 2023’s Super Bowl 57, he had 304 passing yards and one touchdown, falling short with a 38-35 loss to the Chiefs. But Sunday night’s victory put Hurts in company with a few other quarterbacks who later returned to football’s biggest stage to become champions.

According to NBC News, Hurts became the fourth quarterback in NFL history, behind John Elway, Bob Griese and Len Dawson, to lose his first Super Bowl and later win.

“I have a lot of respect for Jalen,”Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said postgame about the 26-year-old’s comeback, per NBC News. “I said after the last Super Bowl we played that he’ll be back. He was and he got the better of me today. I’m sure we’ll face off again at some point in our careers in a big game like this.”

When asked to respond to Mahomes‘ comments, Hurts said, “In the end, things come right on time. The last time around, it wasn’t our time. It wasn’t my time. Sometimes you have to accept that you have to wait your turn,” NBC News reported. “Dealing with everything that came with the last Super Bowl, you still kind of leave empty because as great of a performance it was, it wasn’t enough to win. I think going through those emotions and processing those things and processing that experience lit a great flame in me and enhanced my desire to win significantly.”

Hurts finished the game with 221 passing yards, two touchdowns and 11 carries for 72 yards and a score.

“I find it funny when it’s like, ‘Jalen is good but he’s got a good team around him.’ That’s football. You cannot be great without the greatness of others,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said postgame, according to NBC News. “Jalen can’t do it by himself. He needs A.J., he needs that offensive line, he needs Saquon and vice versa. The reason Saquon has this special year is not only the offensive line, but the attention that Jalen commands for the run game. He’s special. Jalen’s special.”

For Hurts, his journey is uniquely his own, and he said he remains the same person, regardless of the wins or losses in his life.

“I think in the end, it comes down to how people look at you. I’m always going to be the same guy,” he said. “I was telling someone earlier, I’m that same kid that went to the national championship and lost. Went back and got benched and had to transfer and had to go through this unprecedented journey. That kid always kept the main thing the main thing and always was true to his vision.”

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