The Chiefs quarterback, elected MVP of the season this week, has broken a strange curse that a player thus honored cannot win a final in stride since 2000. Against the Eagles (38-35), he is in fact became the 11th player in history to achieve this on Sunday, the first since Kurt Warner, crowned with the Los Angeles Rams 23 years ago.

In doing so, he cemented his place a little more at the top of this tough sport for the body, overcoming the pain of a sprained right ankle aggravated on a tackle that could have spelled the death knell for the Chiefs' hopes.

With courage, he guided them to a second title in three finals played in four years, erasing a delay of ten units at the break, with two of his three successful touchdowns on throws in the last quarter.

"He is THE MVP and he showed it tonight. These actions he did brought him as close as possible to Superman", complimented his trainer Andy Reid, with the excess proportional to the exploit. capital letter of its star, which rocked the most anticipated match of the year.

"MVPat"

"Coming back in the second half like he did, getting those passes late in the game, that's what legends are built on," said former quarterback Danny Kannell, a CBS Sports consultant.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws the ball during the Super Bowl on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona © ANGELA WEISS / AFP

Even diminished by this still sore ankle, after being abused during the play-offs, the 27-year-old "QB" has thus been able to stay at the top of his game, carried by the determination of the great champions.

“I said this week that nothing was going to take me away from the field (…) The competitor that there is in you is what you work for all your life. I wouldn't get out of this match. Even with this sprained ankle, again a little worse," he repeated afterwards.

"+ MVPat +. We can't say enough about what this guy represents for Kansas City and this team", greeted his favorite receiver Travis Kielce, to whom he offered his first touchdown at the start of the game.

Already a prophet in Missouri, since he led the Chiefs to their second title in 2020, fifty years after the first, Mahomes is not yet in the elite of quarterbacks in the NFL, because in front of him is the untouchable Brady (7), Bart Starr (5), Joe Montana and Terry Bradchaw (4) among others.

"Restricted Club"

"But once you win two, you put yourself in a tight club of quarterbacks. The way he plays the game is so different. He changed the way people want to play in that position," said Tim Hasselbeck, another "QB" consultant for ESPN.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes runs with the ball during the 57th Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona on February 12, 2023 © TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

What makes it possible to fuel the debate is that we rarely succeed in such a great match without great opposition.

And in the case of this 57th Super Bowl, Mahomes could just as well have found himself in the shadows, because for a long time the light was above his vis-à-vis Jalen Hurts.

The latter, for his first Super Bowl at age 24, played at an exceptional level, passing his team's four touchdowns, including three on the run, which no quarterback had ever achieved at this stage.

Their duel had already been described as historic on paper, because it was the first time that two African-Americans in this key position opposed each other in the high mass of US football.

He gave birth to the best publicity there is, announcing who knows other games to come.

In the meantime, the Chiefs and Mahomes, 27 years old, will be the team to beat next season.

"We will continue to fight. We have a lot of young players," he warned.

© 2023 AFP