The clock is ticking. Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes are both walking into Super Bowl 59 with the weight of the world on their shoulders, but who’s carrying the bigger load?
One’s trying to rewrite history; the other’s chasing dynasty status. One has doubters waiting for a misstep; the other has a legacy to cement.
An NFL insider just made the call on who’s feeling the heat the most.
Albert Breer Explains: Patrick Mahomes Plays With House Money, Jalen Hurts Fights for Legacy
NFL insider Albert Breer broke it down on “The Herd,” and his take adds some serious weight to the Super Bowl 59 narrative.
For Mahomes, it’s house money season. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has already cemented himself as “that guy” in big moments. Breer noted that even if Mahomes makes a late-game mistake, it won’t shake his legacy — and he has a point.
“I look at where the Chiefs are, and it’s sort of your playing with house money. I know they don’t approach it that way, and I know there’s history on the line and everything else. But I think Mahomes has played so well in so many of these settings that if he were to throw an interception at the end of the game, it’s not going to really affect his legacy,” Breer said.
But for Hurts, this is career-defining. “For Hurts, this is an opportunity to kind of elevate your legacy,” Breer explained.
And the numbers back that up. In Super Bowl 57, Hurts combined for 374 yards and four total touchdowns, nearly outdueling Mahomes. But the loss stung, and a shaky 2023 season (23 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) put him under scrutiny.
Thus, if Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles lose, even despite going to the Super Bowl twice in three seasons, doubt will begin to creep in.
As Breer put it: “If you come into this and you’re Jalen Hurts. This is gonna be your second opportunity to get there. I don’t think most people would view you in that top echelon of quarterbacks… For Hurts, this is an opportunity to kind of elevate your legacy, elevate the way that you’re looked at, elevate the way your team is looked at. There’s a lot on the line.”
The stakes are sky-high. Mahomes is chasing history, but Hurts is chasing validation. Come Super Bowl Sunday, the pressure cooker will be set to max.
Mahomes Shuts Down Referee Controversy
Mahomes isn’t taking the bait. With the Chiefs facing accusations of favorable calls, a reporter at Super Bowl Media Day tried to stir the pot. But Mahomes was unshaken.
“All the refs are great, man. All the refs are great. They do the best they can. Go out there and play the game the right way,” he said, keeping it cool.
The reporter pushed again, joking about sending a Christmas card to a specific ref. Mahomes didn’t flinch: “Not that I can remember. I’ll talk to some of my teammates to figure it out.”
With five Super Bowl appearances in seven seasons, Mahomes is already in GOAT conversations. But the Chiefs’ playoff run has fueled controversy, with fans claiming the team gets too many calls.
Mahomes isn’t letting the noise in, though. He knows what’s at stake.
