Super Bowl LVll is set and it’ll have several significant storylines after the Chiefs defeated the Bengals 23-20 in the AFC Championship Game.
Legendary head coach Andy Reid will face his former team, while Jason and Travis Kelce will make the first siblings to face each other in the Super Bowl.
Travis Kelce caught seven balls for 78 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s three-point AFC Championship win, while Philadelphia amassed 148 rushing yards in a 31-7 NFC Championship win.
The Super Bowl will be a rematch of a 2021 regular season meeting in which Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes and the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 42-30.
In last season’s matchup, Reid returned to Philadelphia and earned his 100th career win with the Chiefs, becoming the first coach in NFL history to win 100 games with two teams.
Reid’s 140 victories with the Eagles are the most in franchise history.
The 2021 matchup was also a coming-out party for Jalen Hurts who threw for a career-high 387 yards and two touchdowns but Philadelphia (1-3) couldn’t keep up with Kansas City’s high-powered offense.
With preparation underway for both teams, here are 57 impact players to watch in Super Bowl LVll.
1
Jalen Hurts
Hurts led the Eagles to a 14-1 record (.933 winning percentage) as a starter, completing 306-of-460 (66.5%) attempts for 3,701 yards (8.0 avg.), 22 TDs, 6 INTs, and a 101.6 passer rating, while also rushing for 760 yards and 13 TDs. In total, Hurts combined for 4,461 yards and 35 TDs
2
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes threw for a career-high 5,251 yards and tossed 41 touchdowns to 11 different players this season.
3
Miles Sanders
Sanders ran for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, and the Pro Bowler will look to win a Super Bowl before hitting free agency.
4
Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco has local ties after dominating at Rutgers and the hard-running tailback will play a key role against the Eagles’ stout defense.
5
Jerick McKinnon
McKinnon had 56 catches for 512 yards and 9 touchdowns out of the backfield for the Chiefs and will be a matchup nightmare against Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards.
6
Kenneth Gainwell
The dual-threat running back has a 100-yard this postseason and he’ll be a key player to watch on third downs and in the red zone.
7
A.J. Brown
Brown logged 1,496 receiving yards and 11 TDs in 2022 and he’ll be a player to watch in one on one coverage.
8
Kadarius Toney
The former Giants receiver got a new life after being dealt to the Chiefs and he’ll be one of the most explosive players on the field with Mecole Hardman likely out and two others dealing with injuries.
9
DeVonta Smith
Smith has 95 catches for 1,196 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2022, and the Heisman Trophy winner dominates in big games going back to his time at Alabama.
10
JuJu Smith-Schuster
The former Steelers wide receiver was quietly productive this season with 78 catches for 933 yards and 3 TDs.
11
Dallas Goedert
Goedert is a top-five tight end that had his season disrupted by a five-game stint on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury.
12
Travis Kelce
The Chiefs All-Pro tight end could be the best player on the field when it all counts Sunday night.
13
Orlando Brown
The son of a Super Bowl champion, Brown is a monster left tackle standing 6’8, 340 and the Chiefs Pro Bowler will matchup up with Josh Sweat to start.
14
Jordan Mailata
Mailata will have a key matchup against the speedy Frank Clark on the edge.
15
Creed Humphrey
The former Oklahoma star is an all-Pro and the best center in the AFC.
16
Jason Kelce
The All-Pro center could be playing his final game of a legendary career.
17
Lane Johnson
The All-Pro right tackle will battle Frank Clark and Chris Jnoes while maintaining a groin injury that’ll require surgery.
18
19
Chris Jones
Jones had two sacks, 10 pressures, and five hits on quarterback Joe Burrow in the AFC title game.
20
Haason Reddick
Reddick logged 16.5 sacks during the regular season and registered three more since the divisional round.
21
Frank Clark
The Chiefs’ dynamic pass rusher had 5 sacks during the regular season and logged 1.5 sacks in the AFC Championship Game victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
22
Josh Sweat
Sweat had a career-high 11.5 sacks and his matchup against Orlando Brown will be key for the Eagles.
23
Fletcher Cox
Cox could be playing his final game for Philadelphia, and after logging 7 sacks during the regular season, he’ll look to enter free agency with another ring.
24
Javon Hargrave
The dominant defensive tackle logged 11+ sacks in 2022 and will look to secure a Super Bowl ring ahead of free agency.
25
Nick Bolton
An athletic marvel out of the SEC, Bolton finished second in the NFL with 180 tackles, ahead of T.J. Edwards.
26
Willie Gay
The talented and athletic linebacker could be questionable for the Super Bowl with a concussion.
27
Brandon Graham
The veteran pass rusher had double digits sacks and will play a key role for a young Eagles team throughout the week.
28
T.J. Edwards
The Eagles’ tacking machine will have key matchups against Travis Kelce and Jerick McKinnon when he gets into open space.
29
Ndamukong Suh
30
Trent McDuffie
The former Washington Huskies cornerback has been a starter from day one and has versatility on the outside and in the slot.
31
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The Eagles’ swiss army knife will look to win a Super Bowl before hitting free agency and he’ll play a major role in limiting Patrick Mahomes.
32
Darius Slay
The yin to Bradberry’s yang, Slay will look to cement himself as an all-time great with this Super Bowl appearance.
33
James Bradberry
The All-Pro cornerback elevated the Eagles’ defense and will look to enter free agency with a Super Bowl ring.
34
Avonte Maddox
The slot cornerback is key to what Philadelphia likes to do in the secondary and he’ll spend the week rehabbing a toe injury while preparing to play.
35
Juan Thornhill
Thornhill is an active safety (3 INTs, 9 pass breakups) and will be a player to watch against Dallas Goedert.
36
Arryn Siposs
The Super Bowl is about field position and Siposs could be one of the important players to watch.
Philadelphia’s second-year punter has been out since he suffered a high ankle sprain while trying to advance a blocked punt in the win over the Giants in December.
While out with the injury, Siposs was replaced by the 36-year-old Brett Kern, who has averaged 40.8 yards per kick with a 36.6 net — both career lows for the 15-year veteran.
His 40.8 is the lowest by an Eagles punter since Reggie Hodges averaged 36.8 during the 2005 season and was replaced by Sean Landeta.
Siposs is an upgrade and outplayed Kern in all statistics: (13 games) 45.6 average, 39.5 net average, 16 inside 20
37
L’Jarius Sneed
A Solid cornerback who’ll play a key role against A.J. Brown, Sneed logged 108 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 INTs during the 2022 regular season.
38
Trey Smith
A 2021 sixth-round pick, Smith overcame predraft health concerns and is now one of the top young right guards in the NFL.
His matchups against Fletcher Cox and Ndamukong Suh will be critical next Sunday.
39
Isaac Seumalo
The Eagles’ right guard has been consistent all season long, and the Pro Bowl alternate will have a critical matchup against Chris Jones.
40
Landon Dickerson
Philadelphia’s Pro Bowl left guard will play in the Super Bowl despite having a hyperextended elbow injury.
41
Justin Reid
The versatile safety also excels while in the slot.
42
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
A deep threat for Kansas City, Valdes-Scantling will play a key role with Mecole Hardman out and two others battling injuries.
43
Jaylen Watson
The rookie cornerback has an interception in each of the Chiefs’ postseason wins.
44
Tommy Townsend
Townsend will be looking for redemption after a disastrous performance in the Super Bowl 55 loss to the Buccaneers.
45
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The often-injured running back will likely have a reduced role behind Pacheco and McKinnon.
46
Boston Scott
47
Carlos Dunlap
The veteran is a rotational pass rusher at this point but still registered four sacks this season.
48
Quez Watkins
Watkins (10.7 avg) could be the Eagles’ wide receiver to watch when Kansas City lines up in man-to-man situations.
49
Andrew Wylie
The Chiefs’ right tackle will be the player to watch in matchups against Haason Reddick and Brandon Graham.
50
Reed Blankenship
The undrafted free agent is a talented player and has earned the right to see significant snaps as a rookie.
51
Zach Pascal
The physical wide receiver has carved out a key role in the running game, and he’s ceded snaps away from Quez Watkins.
52
Marcus Epps
Epps has been solid in his first season as a full-time starter and will play the enforcer role in the secondary from his safety position.
53
Jake Elliott
Elliott has Super Bowl experience, and fans should be confident if he’s forced to make a kick under pressure late in regulation.
54
Bryan Cook
The rookie safety was a teammate of Sauce Gardner’s at Cincinnati and has seen key snaps in the dime package for Kansas City.
55
Kyzir White
White has been solid as the Eagles’ WILL linebacker but could be a liability if matched up against Jerick McKinnon in open space.
56
George Karlaftis
The former Purdue star has 6.5 sacks in his final 9 games with the Chiefs and offers a strong pass rush prowess off the edge.
57
Linval Joseph
The veteran run stuffer could play a key role in limiting the Chiefs’ run game on first and second down.
58
Milton Williams
The second-year defensive tackle offers versatility and the ability to slide down to the edge as another rotational pass rusher.
