Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts earned Super Bowl MVP for his three-touchdown performance against the Chiefs. (Photo courtesy of athlonsports.com)

If there’s one thing that the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout 40-22 victory over the back-to-back defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX has taught me, it’s that there’s never been a better story to believe in.

Three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes and his devil magic stood in the way of bringing the Lombardi Trophy home to Philadelphia. Despite the pessimism from a certain fellow assistant sports editor, as well as the “experts” on just about every sports talk show imaginable, I kept my faith throughout every second leading up to the game.

There was a different aura to this team than when they fell to those same Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII just two years prior. The entire team was locked in. The entire fanbase showed up. The result? Complete domination from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

“Defense wins championships” has never been a truer statement. Mahomes, who typically embarrasses even the best defenses, was on the receiving end of the massacre from first-year defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s top-ranked unit. 

Three turnovers, including a pick-6 by rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean on his 22nd birthday. Zero first-half points allowed. Six sacks without calling a single blitz. Don’t let the final score fool you; Philly led 40-6 with three minutes to go before Mahomes uncorked two garbage-time touchdowns.

I was in seventh grade when Nick Foles did the impossible by leading the Eagles past Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, giving Philadelphia its first-ever Super Bowl title. Seven years later, this team’s identity couldn’t be more different.

As unforgettable as the first win was, there’s something about the second one that feels so much sweeter — Super Bowl MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Ever since being drafted 53rd overall by the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Alabama/Oklahoma product has faced constant scrutiny for any reason imaginable. Analysts and fans alike panned the pick, writing him off as a “gadget player” and “career backup.” But I believed.

Following a disastrous 2020 season from the Eagles, Hurts was given the keys as the franchise’s signal caller. He led the Birds to a 14-3 record in his second full year under center, where they would ultimately fall to the Chiefs. Despite showing up and cumulating 374 total yards and 4 total touchdowns, the doubts continued to pour in.

“He can’t win big games.” “He’s carried by the system.” “QB-sneak merchant.” These were all criticisms he faced since his college years, resurfacing throughout his NFL tenure and especially after the Super Bowl loss. It didn’t help that the 2023 Eagles, who started 10-1, underwent an abysmal late-season collapse to finish 11-6 with a wild-card loss.

Hurts constantly reminds us to never doubt him. After all, this is a man with a 46-20 record in NFL starts who consistently produces. But it took achieving another 14-3 record in 2024 for heads to finally turn.

The difference between 2022 and 2024 is that he finished the job this time. In the 2024 postseason, Hurts boasted 920 total yards and 10 total touchdowns through four games. He only turned the ball over once — a second-quarter interception in the Super Bowl. On the biggest stage, he passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns, including a 46-yard bomb to wide receiver DeVonta Smith to take a 34-0 third-quarter lead. 

Hurts disproved that he was supposedly “carried by the system,” including All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley. The former New York Giant signed with the Eagles in the offseason and instantly made an impact, rushing for 2,005 yards and winning Offensive Player of the Year honors. For the whole season, opposing game plans would entail “stopping Saquon Barkley.” Kansas City successfully limited Barkley — holding him to 57 rushing yards — but seemingly forgot to stop Hurts’ run game, who rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on the patented Brotherly Shove.

Oh yeah, and he won Super Bowl MVP.

Sunday’s win made up for every low point of the last few years. It made up for losing the Super Bowl. It made up for last season’s embarrassing downfall. And it made sticking by Hurts 100% worth it. From now on, anyone who still wants to speak down on Hurts can put “Super Bowl MVP” in front of his name. As head coach Nick Sirianni said (who I’d like to apologize to for calling for his firing last year), “Don’t ever doubt him. All he does is win.” At 26 years old, he is already the undisputed greatest QB in Eagles history.

Jalen Hurts and the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles are immortalized forever. Next stop, a parade on Broad Street. Go Birds.