KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has led the Chiefs to a second straight Super Bowl appearance.
It’s an impressive feat and unmatched in the franchise’s history, giving him a claim as the best Chiefs quarterback ever in only his third season as starting quarterback.
But the outcome against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, could have career-defining implications.
Our “4th & 1” podcast crew, analyst Nick Jacobs and host Tod Palmer, discuss why Mahomes’ NFL legacy could be at stake and what Kansas City must do to beat Tampa Bay.
Brady has won six Super Bowls as a starting QB and will be appearing in his 10th career Super Bowl, both NFL records.
Brady also is trying to join Peyton Manning as the only quarterback in NFL history to win Super Bowls with two different teams. Manning led the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos to titles.
Mahomes has made it no secret that his ambition is to put together a career that rivals Brady’s — and he’s off to a great start with an NFL MVP in 2018 along with a Super Bowl MVP and title in 2019.
To date, Mahomes’ only postseason loss came in overtime during the 2018 AFC Championship Game against Brady and the Patriots.
If the Bucs beat the Chiefs on Sunday, it would leave Brady unbeaten in two postseason games against Mahomes — with another meeting unlikely, unless Kansas City and Tampa Bay faced off in another Super Bowl.
That would be a major tiebreaker in Brady’s favor if Mahomes ever manages to put himself in the conversation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
This is the Chiefs’ fourth Super Bowl appearance, including a 23-7 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV and a 31-20 win last year in Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs lost Super Bowl I to the Green Bay Packers.
Kansas City will be the first true visiting team in the Super Bowl’s history, which will be played in the Buccaneers’ home stadium — though Tampa Bay chose to stick with the road uniforms they’ve used during this year’s postseason run.
The Chiefs will wear their red jerseys, the same jerseys they wore in winning last season.
Kansas City hopes to become the first team since the 2003-04 New England Patriots to win back-to-back Super Bowls and only the eighth team in NFL history.
Franchises to win consecutive Super Bowls:
- Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl I and II (1966-67)
- Miami Dolphins, Super Bowl VII and VIII (1972-73)
- Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl IX and X (1974-75)
- Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl XIII and XIV (1978-79)
- San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV (1988-89)
- Dallas Cowboys, Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII (1992-93)
- Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII (1997-98)
- New England Patriots, Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX (2003-04)
Super Bowl LV will serve as a tiebreaker for conference supremacy. The AFC and NFC have currently won 27 Super Bowls apiece.
Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will call the game with Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely serving as sideline reporters.
The game also can be heard locally on the Chiefs Radio Network. Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes and Josh Klinger will call the game on WDAF-106.5 FM.
A Spanish-language broadcast is available from Tico Sports on KCWJ-1030 AM. Enrique Morales, Oscar Monterroso and Hannah Bassham will call the game.
Finally, the national radio broadcast will feature Kevin Harlan, a University of Kansas graduate and longtime Overland Park resident, with Kurt Warner in the booth along with Tony Boselli and Laura Okmin on the sidelines.