Super Bowl History and Beyond: Chiefs vs. Eagles Rematch | Opta Analyst
The Chiefs and Eagles are set for another Super Bowl showdown, and the matchup carries significant historical implications. We explore the potential legacies at stake, from Patrick Mahomes’ chance at a three-peat to Saquon Barkley’s record-breaking run.
Each year, the Super Bowl is billed as a battle between two teams destined to make history.
Usually, the words “destiny” and “history” are interpreted loosely.
But this year, there’s no question: history is on the line.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a chance to achieve something that’s never been done before: win three consecutive Super Bowls.
This includes their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles two years ago in Arizona, and now the Eagles have a chance to achieve something unique too: winning a Super Bowl rematch within five years of their first meeting.
So, regardless of how one defines “history,” we are guaranteed to witness a first-time occurrence when the clock runs out on Super Bowl 59 this Sunday in New Orleans.
Chiefs vs. Eagles: Shaping History
It’s not just the Chiefs aiming for a third straight Super Bowl title after victories over the Eagles (SB 57) and the San Francisco 49ers (SB 58). The Chiefs, with their 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship, are the first team to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.
Before this, nine teams had won back-to-back titles, but none had reached a third straight.
While teams have claimed three consecutive titles, not all of them did so during the Super Bowl era. The Green Bay Packers won in three consecutive seasons, from 1929-31 and 1965-67, with the latter part of their streak culminating in Super Bowls 1 and 2.
Additionally, the Chiefs are set to play their 19th playoff game since the start of the 2019 season—the most by any team over a six-year span in NFL history.
For comparison, the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers didn’t even reach the postseason during this stretch.
This Chiefs vs. Eagles game will mark the ninth time two teams have previously met in the Super Bowl, and the fifth time two teams have faced off for the Lombardi Trophy within a five-year span. The Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, also helped end the 2019 and 2024 seasons with wins over San Francisco (last year’s Super Bowl was a 25-22 overtime thriller).
In the other three instances of rematch Super Bowls within five years, the loser of the first game did not exact revenge in the second.
The Eagles, however, aim to break that pattern. They did manage to avenge their loss to the New England Patriots, claiming a 41-33 victory in SB 52, 13 years after a 24-21 loss to them in SB 39.
In that Super Bowl rematch, Tom Brady was the only player remaining from both teams, and he’ll be in the TV booth this time as FOX’s color analyst.
For this matchup, it’s expected that more than 40 players will take the field in the Superdome who participated in the 2022 Super Bowl between these two teams.
Players like Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones for Kansas City, and Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith for the Eagles, will return.
However, there’s one significant addition to the Eagles’ roster: Saquon Barkley.
Saquon Barkley: The Game Changer?
Philadelphia’s signing of Saquon Barkley in March could go down as one of the NFL’s greatest offseason moves.
With 2,005 rushing yards this season, Barkley achieved the eighth-most in a single season, coming close to Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. However, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to rest Barkley in a meaningless final game to preserve him for the playoffs, a decision that has proven wise.
Barkley has been even better in the postseason, averaging 147.3 rushing yards over three playoff wins. Only four players have averaged more rushing yards in a single postseason (minimum two games), with Terrell Davis’ 156.0 in the 1998 season standing as the highest.
To surpass Davis’ postseason average, Barkley would need 183 rushing yards in the Super Bowl, a feat only two players have achieved: Timmy Smith (204 yards) in Super Bowl 22 and Marcus Allen (191 yards) in Super Bowl 18.
While Barkley may not break the postseason record, he could easily set a new mark for total rushing yards in a season, including the playoffs, with just 30 more yards.
Barkley has already tallied 13 rushing plays of 30+ yards this season, and his three playoff runs of 60+ yards indicate that he’s capable of breaking more records. With another 30-yard run, he’ll tie Chris Johnson (2009) for the most in a single season since 1991.
Despite Barkley’s remarkable achievements, the Chiefs have done well at limiting big runs. In the AFC Championship, they allowed only a 33-yard run by Buffalo’s James Cook—just the second 30+ yard run they’ve conceded this season. Only the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons have allowed fewer such runs.
Kansas City managed to stifle NFL rushing leader Christian McCaffrey in last year’s Super Bowl, holding him to 80 yards on 22 carries. The Chiefs will look to replicate that performance against Barkley, who could become the first NFL rushing leader to win a Super Bowl since Terrell Davis in 1998.
If Barkley plays a key role in leading the Eagles to a title, he could also become the first running back since Davis to win Super Bowl MVP.
Barkley’s ability to break off a game-changing run and his instrumental role in the Eagles’ success this season has made him one of the favorites to win MVP, with +260 odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Patrick Mahomes: The GOAT in the Making?
Patrick Mahomes has already won three Super Bowl MVPs, the most by any player other than Tom Brady, who has five.
With another victory over the Eagles, Mahomes would tie Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowl rings, placing him three behind Brady’s record of seven titles.
At just 29, this will be Mahomes’ fifth Super Bowl appearance in eight NFL seasons—a remarkable feat that parallels John Elway’s Hall of Fame career. Only Tom Brady (10 Super Bowl appearances) has played in more.
Brady’s reputation for performing in clutch moments, especially in Super Bowls, has earned him the title of the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Mahomes, however, is quickly closing the gap. If he helps the Chiefs defeat the Eagles, he will only be one Super Bowl win behind Brady.
While Mahomes still has a long way to go before matching Brady’s Super Bowl legacy, achieving three consecutive titles would be a historic milestone that Brady never accomplished.
Though Brady may still hold the title of GOAT, Mahomes is positioning himself to challenge that title in the years to come.
