On Thursday night, Patrick Mahomes made NFL history by winning the Most Valuable Player award for the second time, becoming only the eighth quarterback to have multiple MVP awards to his name. Despite being one of the most sought-after players in the NFL, Mahomes wasn’t present at the award ceremony held at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, as he was preparing for Sunday’s Super Bowl game between his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes is the favorite to win the Super Bowl MVP, with odds of +120, just ahead of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts at +125, according to DraftKings. This is not surprising, given the quarterback position has been the Super Bowl MVP 31 times out of the 56 years of the game.
Mahomes and Hurts were the league’s best quarterbacks this season, with Mahomes throwing for an NFL-high 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns, while Hurts, in his second season as a starter, completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns. Additionally, Hurts also ran for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.
If Mahomes wins the MVP on Sunday, he will join an elite group of players who have achieved both the regular season and Super Bowl MVPs in the same season. Only six players have accomplished this feat, with Kurt Warner being the last player to do so in the 1999 season. Of all the all-time greats, such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers, only Emmitt Smith (1993) has achieved this feat, and he is the only non-quarterback to do so.
The six players who have won the regular season and Super Bowl MVPs in the same season are all members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and if Mahomes wins on Sunday, he will become the seventh player to join this prestigious club. It will be a testament to Mahomes’ abilities as a quarterback and his impact on the game of football. The world will be watching to see if he can make history and join this exclusive group of players.
6 Players Who Have Won the Regular Season and Super Bowl MVPs
1966 – Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers quarterback
Bart Starr was 32 years old and in his 11th year with the Green Bay Packers when he made history. Throughout the regular season, he topped the league with a completion rate of 62.2% and threw for 2,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. He then guided the Packers to a historic victory in the first-ever Super Bowl, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in Los Angeles. Starr put up a dominant performance, going 16-of-23 for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
The following season, Starr once again made his mark on the Super Bowl, earning the MVP award for his outstanding performance. He threw for 202 yards and a touchdown in the Packers’ 33-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. This solidified Starr’s legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history and cemented his place in the annals of Super Bowl lore.
1978 – Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Terry Bradshaw had a standout season in 1978, throwing for 2,915 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning him his first and only MVP award. However, he saved his best for the playoffs, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to their third Super Bowl victory in five seasons with a thrilling 35-31 victory over the reigning champions, the Dallas Cowboys. Bradshaw completed 17-of-30 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Lynn Swann that put the Steelers ahead 35-17 in the fourth quarter. Although the Cowboys managed to score two touchdowns in the final three minutes, it wasn’t enough to overcome Bradshaw’s dominant performance.
The following season, Bradshaw once again solidified his status as a Super Bowl legend, earning the MVP award in the Steelers’ 31-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. He threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in the game, further solidifying his place as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
1989 – Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Joe Montana entered the 1989 season as one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 1980s, having already led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl titles and earning two Super Bowl MVP awards. Despite his impressive achievements, Montana had never won the regular season MVP award. But in 1989, Montana earned his first MVP, completing a career-high 70.2% of his passes for 3,521 yards and 26 touchdowns. He then took the 49ers to a historic 55-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, setting records for the most points scored by a team in the Super Bowl and the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. Montana’s performance in the Super Bowl was dominant, with 22 completions out of 29 attempts for 297 yards and five touchdowns.
Montana won his second MVP award in 1990, but the 49ers fell short in their quest for another Super Bowl victory, losing 15-13 to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, Montana never played in another Super Bowl, but his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time remains intact.
1993 – Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys running back
Smith had a remarkable regular season in 1993, as he led the league in rushing for the third year in a row, accumulating 1,486 rushing yards and scoring 9 touchdowns. He was also a reliable receiver, recording 57 receptions. His outstanding performance earned him the NFL MVP award, making him the first Dallas player to receive such recognition.
The Cowboys then went on to win their second Super Bowl in a row, with Smith leading the charge. In the 30-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills, Smith rushed for 132 yards and scored two touchdowns. The game was tied at 13-13 in the third quarter, but Smith’s two touchdowns and a 20-yard field goal by Eddie Murray secured the win for Dallas.
Although Smith did not win another regular season or Super Bowl MVP, he still had an impressive career, leaving behind an NFL-record of 18,355 rushing yards and 164 rushing touchdowns.
1994 – Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers quarterback
After Montana was sidelined in 1991 due to an elbow injury, Young stepped in as the starting quarterback and solidified his position as one of the NFL’s premier players. In 1992, he claimed his first MVP award, and added another to his list in 1994 after leading the league in completion percentage (70.3%) and touchdown passes (35), and throwing for a total of 3,969 yards.
During the Super Bowl, Young put on a stellar performance, throwing for 325 yards and breaking the game’s record with six touchdowns, leading the 49ers to a 49-26 victory against the San Diego Chargers at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. Unfortunately, since that Super Bowl win, the 49ers have not tasted championship glory.
1999 – Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams quarterback
The story of Warner’s rise to fame was one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Before the 1999 season, Warner had only played in one NFL game, and the Rams left him unprotected in the 1999 expansion draft. However, after Trent Green suffered an injury in a preseason game, Warner was given the chance to reclaim his starting role and he seized the opportunity.
In 1999, Warner was 28 years old and he was named the regular season MVP after completing a league-best 65.1% of his passes for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns. In the Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans, Warner threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 73-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Bruce with only 1:54 left on the clock.
Two years later, Warner was named the MVP once again, but the Rams were unable to secure a Super Bowl win as they lost to the New England Patriots, 20-17. The Patriots went on to win their first of six Super Bowls.