NFL News: Eagles teammate believes he deserved Super Bowl MVP over Jalen Hurts after win vs Chiefs

The Philadelphia Eagles prevented the Kansas City Chiefs from writing NFL history in Super Bowl LIX by pulling off a dominant, 40-22 win in New Orleans. Jalen Hurts took much of the limelight for the victory, which is why one of his teammates felt overlooked.

Hurts was voted Super Bowl LIX MVP, a distinction that Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat believes should have gone to him. “I should’ve had it,” Sweat said of the award, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I could’ve had it. It’s all good, though.”

Sweat led an impressive effort by the Eagles’ defense on Sunday, putting up six tackles, 2.5 sacks, and multiple pressures to hold Patrick Mahomes to one of his worst performances on a Chiefs uniform.

Hurts, meanwhile, got the job done on offense. The Eagles quarterback went 17-of-22 for 221 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception. Sweat may have a fair point, but voters tend to lean on offensive players, especially quarterbacks, when it comes to MVP awards.

Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs scrambles while being chased by Josh Sweat #19 of the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

How many times has a defensive player won Super Bowl MVP?

The media panel’s assessment weighs 80% of the Super Bowl MVP vote, with the remaining 20% belonging to the fan vote. Throughout the award history, quarterbacks often gained the upper hand.

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Hurts became the 34th quarterback in 59 editions of the Super Bowl to be named MVP of the game. Only 10 times the winner of the award was a defensive player, which shows that Sweat had it tougher.

Sweat not closing the door on returning to Eagles

Regardless, Sweat’s impressive Super Bowl performance on the biggest stage will only increase his value this offseason, where he’ll have the opportunity to explore his options in free agency.

The Eagles, however, shouldn’t give up hope on keeping their star linebacker, as Sweat will not only think about cash when deciding his team for the 2025 NFL season: “Money’s important, sure, but I want to be in the right situation. I don’t know what it looks like for me now, but I’m happy.”