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Mahomes the GOAT? Saquon a HOFer? Kelce retires?

Super Bowl LIX: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles. While this is a SB rematch from just two years ago, the teams are wildly different in many ways. The Chiefs have a different receiver corps and a much better defense; the Eagles have two beasts they didn’t have in 2022 in defensive tackle Jalen Carter and running back Saquon Barkley.

With new teams and new histories come new storylines. There are a ton of burning questions heading into this year’s big game, and we’ll focus on seven of them:

Will a win move Patrick Mahomes into the GOAT conversation? There’s been a lot of talk about the Chiefs’ star quarterback entering the “greatest of all time” convo if the team does what no team has ever done before: win three Super Bowls in a row. A win would put him at four, tying him with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw and putting him three behind Tom Brady who has seven.

It’s easy to compare Brady’s seven rings to Mahomes’ potential four and say the conversation stops there, but winning three straight is something Brady never did. Does making that bit of unique history give Mahomes the edge? At the very least, it gives him the edge over Montana, right? Brady is probably still the GOAT regardless, but a threepeat at least makes Mahomes the second-GOAT.

What about Andy Reid? The GOAT coach? This argument is similar to the QB GOAT discussion, with Bill Belichick as the presumed greatest due to his six rings as head coach vs. Reid’s potential four. But looking at total wins, Reid is at 301 (regular season + postseason) while Belichick is at 333. With Belichick joining the college coaching scene, Reid will likely catch up to him in a few years (and could catch Don Shula’s record of 347). So a SBLIX win may not solidify Reid as the GOAT coach just yet, but he’s getting there.

Can Saquon Barkley earn HOF status? Right now, Barkley probably isn’t quite worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not that he isn’t a HOF talent, but he doesn’t have the HOF numbers to back it up. Yet. However, he’s currently having one of the most notable postseasons from a running back in recent memory, rushing for 442 yards and five touchdowns in three games. The records in a single postseason are 610 yards (John Riggins) and eight TDs (Terrell Davis).

Barkley would need an epic Super Bowl performance to come close to those numbers, and it’s entirely possible for him to accomplish it. If he does, HOF consideration could be on the table for Barkley. After all, Terrell Davis is a HOFer due to his playoff numbers. If he’s in, why couldn’t Barkley be in?

Can Jalen Hurts reelevate himself to elite status? Two years ago, Hurts finished second in MVP voting and was considered an elite QB. Now, some people don’t even consider him a top 10 QB. What happened? Well, his passing numbers dipped a bit, while his rushing numbers remained relatively the same. But looking past the box score, the eye test shows that his game can be shaky — one week he’ll wow you, the next week he’ll struggle a bit, especially in the passing game.

Above all, a solid chunk of people consider him a run-first QB, and those guys just don’t get quite as much respect. But a win over Mahomes in the Super Bowl? That’d earn Hurts some respect. If he puts this game on his shoulders, proves that he’s more than just a running QB and earns the W, he could move back into elite status in the eyes of most.

Will Travis Kelce call it a career after a threepeat? It’s no secret that the 35-year-old tight end is winding down his career. He’s hinted as much on his podcast. 2024 was Kelce’s lowest yards and touchdowns total of his career. However, like always, Kelce manages to dial up his game during the playoffs. If he wanted to, he could probably play another two to four years and still be a solid contributor. The question is, will he want to? He said a threepeat was his ultimate goal. If he finishes his story, what better way to go out than on top?

Is Nick Sirianni redeemed in the eyes of Philly fans only after a SB win? The Eagles’ coach was caught shouting at his own fans back in Week 6 after hearing “fire Nick Sirianni” chants. It wasn’t the first time Sirianni has been criticized, but hey, the Philly crowd is passionate and at times overly critical.

The biggest wonder here is whether faith in Sirianni has returned for Philly fans thanks to a SB appearance, or if it only returns if they actually win the big game. How will Philly fans react if it’s a loss? What about a (gulp) blowout loss?

Which team has the most at stake — K.C. or Philly? For the Chiefs, it’s the threepeat, the GOAT status, preserving the dynasty, and proving that this run is all about their talent and not about the refs. For the Eagles, it’s about proving themselves, showing that they’re elite and not just great, showing that they can hang with the biggest dog of them all.

Who has the most to gain? Most to lose? A case can be made for both teams, but let’s remember that Super Bowl windows can close quickly. Except, for the Chiefs, who have made the Super Bowl five times in six years, that window seems to be closing much more slowly than the rest.

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More coaching changes — who’s still looking?

The coaching carousel continues. Let’s look at the latest coaching updates from around the league:

Lions get an OC: Detroit brought on former Denver Broncos passing coordinator John Morton to be the team’s next offensive coordinator. Morton previously served as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022 and actually helped with quarterback Jared Goff’s resurgence.

Jets find a DC: New York hired former Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks to be the team’s next defensive coordinator. Wilks plans to call the defensive plays while new coach Aaron Glenn will focus on head coaching duties.

Cowboys snag Eberflus: Dallas picked up former Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus as its next DC. He was previously in Dallas as the team’s linebackers coach from 2011 to 2017.

Vegas to keep DC: It looks like new Raiders coach Pete Carroll is working to keep DC Patrick Graham on the team in the same role.

McCarthy not coaching in 2025: Former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy removed himself from the New Orleans Saints’ coaching search and declared that he will skip coaching in 2025, instead focusing on the 2026 hiring cycle.

Who’s still looking for coaches and coordinators? The Saints are the only team left looking for a head coach, and they may be waiting for Eagles OC Kellen Moore to finish up Super Bowl duties. Meanwhile, these teams still need an OC: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders, Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All DC positions have now been filled.

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