This Sunday is the “big game!” It’s Super Bowl LIX and we’re getting a sequel to Patrick Mahomes versus Jalen Hurts. Both teams clearly proved that they were the best of the best in their respective conferences. Beyond the sheer talent of both of these quarterbacks, we’re in for some damn good coaching. The excitement for this rematch is palpable, and the best part is that’s the story.

The first time around when these two met in the Super Bowl, the headline was about history. It was the first time that two Black quarterbacks would play against one another as starters in the big game. It was, to me, a sign of the times. We had been trending this way since the early 2000s. When you think about the contributions of Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Cam Newton for starters, they set a trend. They all in their on ways showed just how dynamic one could be at the helm of a football team.

Nowadays, you still have Russell Wilson competing and the explosive Lamar Jackson to boot. The Black quarterback, in all his dimensions, has become more cemented in the NFL now more than ever. Because of all of those who paved the way prior, Patrick Mahomes versus Jalen Hurts is all about the game this time around. It is now becoming so much more normalized to entrust a football team in the hands of a Black man on the football field.

This happening is not happenstance either. Chris Rock has a funny bit where he riffs about how extraordinary Black talent needs to be in order to attain the same opportunities that many white people do. This Super Bowl Sunday, we are going to witness the absolute best that Black quarterbacking has to offer. The best part is that these two dudes, are the best in the NFL regardless of their race.

In this social and political climate that we currently live in, I’m choosing to celebrate small wins. After all, it’s those wins that lead to bigger ones. What we’re living through, I am certain are the wildest dreams of Doug Williams. He set a standard. Thankfully, we can point to many more after him that continued to take the game to its highest level. Nothing but grit and pride will be left on that field come Sunday. And well for us, we get to sit back and do what we’re used to: witness Black excellence at play.