Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are looking forward to becoming the first Black quarterbacks to face off in a Super Bowl.
While Black quarterbacks have appeared in and won Super Bowls, no other team has had two Black starting quarterbacks. Hurts, who will make his first appearance in the 2023 Super Bowl on Feb. 12 in Arizona, spoke to USA Today about the historic occasion.
“It is history,” said the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback. “It’s come a long way.”
He added: “To be the first for something is pretty cool. I know it’ll be a good one.”
Mahomes, of the Kansas City Chiefs, is playing in his third Super Bowl. Given the significance of the game, he told USA Today that it is “special” to him.
“I’ve learned more and more about the history of Black quarterbacks since I’ve been in this league and the guys that came before me and Jalen [Hurts] set the stage for this,” Mahomes explained.
The 27-year-old is proud to be able to continue paving the way for future Black quarterbacks in the league. “I’m glad we can lay the groundwork for the kids who are coming up now,” he said.
Mahomes, one of only three Black quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl, led the Chiefs to victory over the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 but was defeated the following year by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In addition to Mahomes, the two other African-American quarterbacks to win the Lombardi Trophy are Doug Williams in 1988 and Russell Wilson in 2014.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off on Feb. 12 in Arizona.