Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is just days removed from winning his second career NFL MVP award.
Being honored Thursday night as the most valuable player in the league pales in comparison to what Mahomes will strive for in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday afternoon in Arizona.
Mahomes has already made history as being the first quarterback to lead his team to at least the conference championship game in each of his first five seasons as a starter.
He’s now looking to buck a trend and re-write history against Philadelphia. The last nine NFL MVPs to have started in the Super Bowl that same season have gone on to lose.
The last league MVP to hoist a Lombardi the same season he won that award was then-St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner when they defeated the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV back in January of 2000. Since then, there’s a laundry list of all-time great who have failed to lead their teams to victories in the big game after coming away with the hardware.
Related: Patrick Mahomes’ opportunity for football immortality in Super Bowl LVII
History not favoring Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVII
- 2017: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
- 2016: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
- 2015: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
- 2013: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
- 2009: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
- 2007: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
- 2005: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks
- 2002: Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders
- 2001: Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams
We’re looking at two Hall of Famers and another two who will join the list in Canton at some point soon.
In fact, some of the worst quarterback performances we’ve seen in the Super Bowl have come from players who won the NFL MVP that season.
Gannon won the 2002 NFL MVP, only to see his Raiders get blown out in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game saw Gannon throw a Super Bowl-record five interceptions in a 48-21 loss.
Fast forward more than a decade, and Cam Newton led his Carolina Panthers into Super Bowl 50 against the Denver Broncos after having won the top individual award the league has to offer. He ultimately completed 18-of-41 passes with zero touchdowns and three interceptions in a 24-10 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
We also can’t ignore Matt Ryan’s Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Patrick Mahomes certainly hopes that history doesn’t repeat itself in this regard.
Interestingly enough, the last league MVP to play in the Super Bowl was Tom Brady back in February of 2018. His team was upset by the Philadelphia Eagles and surprise Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.