By Staff Writer: Morganne Guhl
Whoever comes out on top in this year’s Super Bowl, the new Tom Brady or Mr. Irrelevant, the N.F.L. should win big.
The stage is set for Super Bowl LVIII, The San Francisco 49ers vs The Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have compelling narratives surrounding their quarterbacks going into the final contest of this N.F.L. season.
The Chief against the Ravens was a tame game with a spot to go to the Super Bowl on the line. After being equal during the first quarter, the Chiefs pulled ahead by 10 in the second and never got out of first gear after. While the Ravens clawed back three before the end, it finished a comfortable 17-10. Patrick Mahomes, their starter quarterback, is eyeing another ring to add to his collection. If he does it, the comparisons between him and Tom Brady, regarded by most as the G.O.A.T. of American football, will only get louder.
Patrick Mahomes was the second quarterback and the 10th overall draft pick in the 2017-2018 season by the Chief. While he started as a backup quarterback, there seems little doubt that he would be quickly moving up to starting, and that’s precisely what happened the following season. Mahomes has led his team to six A.F.C. championship games since that move. He’s pushed the Chiefs to three Super Bowl appearances, winning two. With his four-appearance incoming, his name will inevitably be brought up as a future contender to Tom Brady’s G.O.A.T. status. While Mahomes has quite a ways to go even to get close to Brady records, his steady and consistent M.V.P. Winning performances across the regular and postseason offer both the league and football fans an especial talent to watch.
The 49ers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl with a scrappy win against the Detroit Lions. The 49ers faced an embarrassing exit after falling 17 points behind at halftime. They would rally to win 34-31, much to most people’s shock. If the 49ers win, it will launch their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, into the rare company, Super Bowl-winning Mr. Irrelevants. The undesirable title of Mr. Irrelevant is bestowed on the last-picked player in their draft year. Their careers tend to be unremarkable, with few exceptions.
The same looked to hold for Purdy, as he was selected to be the 3rd string quarterback for the 49ers with little hope of playing. Then injuries took out Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppplo, the starting and second-string quarterback, by week 13 in the 2022-2023 season. Purdy took the opportunity, became the starter quarterback, and helped lead the 49ers through the rest of the regular season and to the N.F.C. championship game. He would be injured during the game, which the 49ers ultimately lost 37 to 7. Due to his exceptional performance during the previous season, Purdy was given the starter quarterback position at the beginning of the 2023-2024 season, leading the 49ers to this year’s Super Bowl. His counterpart on the Chiefs had an opposite reception when he entered the league.
Regardless of who wins on the 11 of February, the N.F.L. has the perfect headline, the quarterback who beat the odds or a possible future G.O.A.T. contender; either way, the N.F.L. can’t lose.