Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts’ showdown makes history as first two Black quarterbacks

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, right, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurtss, left, on Super Bowl 57 opening night. (Matt York/ Associated Press)

Today, the biggest football game event in American history will take place in Glendale Arizona, Super Bowl 57.

This game has numerous storylines, but historically this is the first Super Bowl to have two Black quarterbacks face one another.

Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs for the American Football Conference commonly known as, AFC. Jalen Hurts leads the Philadelphia Eagles for the National Football Conference, also known as, NFC.

Both of the talented quarterbacks know the importance of this game, Patrick Mahomes was asked how he felt about the significance of this Super Bowl matchup.

“I think about it a lot—The quarterbacks that came before me—Shack Harris, Doug Williams—that laid the foundation for me to be in this position,” Mahomes said in an interview.

According to Sports Casting’s website, Shack Harris made history in 1975 by becoming the first African American quarterback to start an NFL season and Doug Williams became a prominent figure in NFL history in 1988 when he became the first African American quarterback to win a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins.

Mahomes plans to follow in their foot steps to continue to motivate kids who aspire to be quarterbacks.

This game can make Mahomes become the first Black two time champion of the Super Bowl if the Chiefs win. Whereas Hurts strives to make this game his first win and to be the fourth African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl among the greats like Doug Williams who won Super Bowl 22, Russell Wilson who won Super Bowl 48 with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 , and Mahomes who won Super Bowl 54 in 2020.

Jalen Hurts shares in an interview that he is aware of the history being made at the Super Bowl, but acknowledges he is still a student of the game.

However, Hurts will officially make it to be one of seven Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history along Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton and those previously mentioned.

Hurts and Mahomes will be going head to head this evening at 6:30 p.m. EST. This will be a showdown for the ages.