Football

Cooper DeJean is having a good birthday so far.

The Philadelphia Eagles rookie cornerback made history against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday, intercepting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and taking it to the house to become the first player in NFL history to record a touchdown on their birthday.

DeJean, who turned 22 on Sunday, helped the Eagles pile onto their lead with the touchdown as it made it a 17-0 game late in the second quarter. It was the first interception and touchdown of DeJean's NFL career.

DeJean, a second-round pick out of Iowa, had an outstanding rookie year, recording 51 tackles, six passes defended and a forced fumble in the regular season. Coming into Sunday's game, he had recorded 15 tackles and three passes defended in the postseason.

While DeJean became the first player to record a birthday touchdown, his teammate is looking to accomplish the feat as well. Saquon Barkley, who has had a career year thus far, is celebrating his 28th birthday on Sunday. He can add to the outstanding season with a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Barkley had a year to remember in his first season with Philadelphia. The former New York Giant finished the regular season with 2,005 rushing yards—just 100 away from matching the single-season rushing record—and 13 touchdowns. He can add to the tremendous season with a birthday touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Touchdown or not, it will be a birthday to remember for DeJean and Barkley if they can win their first Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl 59.

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback used the "Tush Push" play to sneak in the only score that occurred in the first quarter.

Hurts and the Eagles offense looked strong in the opening stanza, a big difference from how Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs looked on their two drives.

First Score Score Update

Kansas City 0 - 0

Philadelphia 7 - 7

The Eagles found the end zone through Hurts on their second drive of the game.

Hurts followed his offensive linemen into the end zone from a yard out.

The first scoring play of Super Bowl 59 was set up by a 28-yard pass from Hurts to Jahan Dotson down the right sideline.

Dotson emerged as the surprise leading pass-catcher of the first quarter. He hauled in two receptions for 42 yards. Dallas Goedert is the only other player with 20 or more receiving yards.

The Eagles totaled 115 total yards across three drives, one of which extended into the second quarter.

Saquon Barkley ran for 19 yards on eight carries and Hurts put up 15 yards on four carries.

Mahomes completed three of his first six passes, but the Chiefs did not get the ball past midfield on their first two drives.

JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a pair of passes for 16 yards, but Travis Kelce has yet to record a reception inside the Superdome in New Orleans.

It's time for Super Bowl LIX.

Prior to the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles taking the field for the championship game, musician and Louisiana native Jon Batiste sang the national anthem to kick off the event.

Fans took to social media to celebrate Batiste's rendition of the anthem.

Batiste is a seven-time Grammy Award winner and has received 22 total nominations. He was the most nominated artist at the 64th annual Grammys in 2022.

He is a native of Metairie, Louisiana, and attended high school at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He has previously sang the national anthem at the 2017 NBA All-Star game and at opening night for the 2017 U.S. Open.

The Chiefs are aiming to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. A win would also move the team to second all-time among franchise for Super Bowl titles with five.

The Eagles are aiming for their second championship in franchise history. The two teams met in Super Bowl LII in 2022, with Kansas City winning 38-35.

CeeDee Lamb isn't concerned about recent trade rumors surrounding star edge Micah Parsons.

On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver replied to a post about Parsons potentially being traded this offseason.

"Y'all aren't tired of this? Every offseason, top of the charts... Let's just win ball games and that's with 11! SMH," Lamb wrote in the post.

The post from Lamb comes after a report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport regarding Dallas' "internal discussions" about either trading or paying Parsons this offseason.

"While there have been no trade talks, sources say there have at least been some internal discussions about whether to pay Parsons or trade him for a king's ransom," Pelissero and Rapoport wrote on Sunday.

Despite the Cowboys' struggles in 2024, Parsons had another outstanding year, racking up 43 tackles, 12 sacks and 12 tackles for loss while playing just 13 games. Parsons is under contract for one more season and will receive $24 million guaranteed on a fifth-year option, but he's set to hit free agency after the 2025 season.

Parsons, who has been one of the best pass rushers in the league since he was drafted in 2021, will undoubtedly get a massive contract either from the Cowboys or another team. Spotrac projects Parsons to earn $30 million per year, though it wouldn't be surprising to see him pass Nick Bosa, who earns $34 million a year, to become the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

If the Cowboys let Parsons get another productive year under his belt before paying him, his price will only go up.

Trading Parsons rather than extending him this offseason would likely be the cheaper option and could net a hefty haul, but the Cowboys' defense would take a significant hit without the four-time Pro Bowler no matter who they get in return for him.

Dallas parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after a 7-10 finish this season. The Cowboys will enter a new era with Brian Schottenheimer leading the way, and Lamb is ready to "just win ball games" with Parsons still on the team.

Patrick Mahomes seems to get closer to rivaling Tom Brady's GOAT status every season, but the legendary former quarterback isn't worried about Mahomes adding another championship to his resume on Sunday.

"People say all the time 'Well, what if Patrick wins his fourth?' and I'm like, 'There's nobody that would be happier than me' because I appreciate how hard it is to do and to win four times before the age of 30," Brady said on Fox Sports' Super Bowl pregame show.

Should Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs take down the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Sunday, it would give Mahomes his fourth championship and make him and the Chiefs the first team ever to three-peat in the Super Bowl.

Some NFL legends would root against those nearing their level of greatness, but Brady seems to be happy to see Mahomes' continued success.

Even if Mahomes wins another, he'll still have a ways to go to match Brady's rings. Brady, who retired after the 2022 season, won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVPs.

Brady also holds the record for the most playoff wins at 35, whereas Mahomes, who is second on the list, has 17 with a chance to make it 18 on Sunday.

As great as Mahomes has been in his eight NFL seasons, he'll need a few more years of sustained success to take Brady's title as the GOAT.

The stars will be on full display for Super Bowl LIX.

Several notable public figures, including Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, actors Paul Rudd, Pete Davidson and Adam Sandler and singer-songwriter Taylor Swift are in attendance for Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Some attendees, like Rudd and Swift, have been consistent presences at Chiefs games. Others, like Sandler, chose to represent their favorite teams that aren't in action on Sunday.

Super Bowl LIX is taking place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and it is the first Super Bowl in the city since 2013. The Chiefs are hoping to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls and will hope to move into a tie for the second-most Super Bowl victories among NFL franchises.

The Eagles will be in their fifth Super Bowl and will hope to win the second title in franchise history. Kansas City and Philadelphia met in Super Bowl LVII, with the Chiefs winning 38-35.

Super Bowl LIX is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Before Super Bowl 59 kicked off, the 21st annual Puppy Bowl took place on Sunday.

Team Fluff secured its status as champions once again, defeating Team Ruff by the final score of 68-66. The victory marks Team Fluff's third win in four years after Team Ruff won the 2024 Puppy Bowl.

Paws Allen, a Labrador Retriever mix, scored a last-second touchdown to clinch the victory for Team Fluff.

A silver lining for Team Ruff was the Most Valuable Puppy winner, with Foxtrot taking home MVP honors. The Border Collie mix started the scoring with an early touchdown and almost helped Team Ruff pull off an impressive victory.

The 2025 Puppy Bowl didn't disappoint, featuring energized action throughout the contest from the puppies.

One exception to the intense game was Mercury, with the Great Pyrenees Maremma Sheepdog-mix taking home an Underdog Award win by relaxing on the field while the event took place.

Puppy Bowl XXI featured 142 puppy players from 80 shelters and rescues across 40 states and two countries. The event also included 11 special needs puppies including Jolene, an American Pit Bull Terrier-mix who competed in a wheelchair, as well as Sprinkle, a blind and hearing-impaired Australian Shepherd-mix.

As fans waited for Sunday's clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles to commence, the Puppy Bowl continued to provide entertainment leading up to the NFL's title game.

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams expressed some displeasure on Sunday.

The 27-year-old took to social media Sunday afternoon to post a thumbs down symbol. This post comes after Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that the team told Aaron Rodgers that it will be moving on from the quarterback in 2025.

The Rodgers news comes as the future of wide receiver Davante Adams is reportedly uncertain. New York went 5-12 in 2024 and missed the postseason for the 14th consecutive season.

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Ahead of the Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sean McVay isn't tolerating any disrespect toward Nick Sirianni.

On Fox Sports' pregame show, the Los Angeles Rams head coach went to bat for Sirianni as he prepares for another Super Bowl appearance.

"I think he's the most disrespected coach in the league for a guy that's making his second Super Bowl appearance," McVay said. "He's made the playoffs all four years in his tenure. He's got an authentic energy that I think his players feed off of him. There's a toughness, there's a style of play that you see from these guys. It's why they're in this position to be able go win one tonight."

Sirianni has only been an NFL head coach for four seasons, but he already has a track record of success. He's led the Eagles to the playoffs every year since taking over in 2021 and is preparing for his second Super Bowl appearance on Sunday.

He took Philadelphia to the Super Bowl in 2022 but came up short against the Chiefs. He'll look to win his first championship in a revenge match. If he can join the club of active head coaches with a Super Bowl, the disrespect will likely end.

As the New York Jets prepare for the post-Aaron Rodgers era, managing the cap fallout from his departure will be the first obstacle to overcome.

Rich Cimini of ESPN reported that New York will inherit $49 million in "dead" money but will likely spread this across 2025 and 2026. This would mean that New York would have $14 million in "dead cap" in 2025 and that number would escalate to $35 million in 2026.

"The Jets are left with $49 million in "dead" money, which can be spread over two years if he's designated a post-June 1 cut," Cimini wrote. "In that case, they would absorb a $14 million charge in 2025, realizing a net savings of $9.5 million in '25. There would be a $35 million charge in 2026."

If Rodgers is to retire instead of being released, Cimini reported that the "same accounting applies."

Rodgers spent 2023 and 2024 with the Jets although he only played four offensive snaps in 2023 before suffering a torn Achilles. He returned in full in 2024 and threw for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Despite this solid production, New York went 5-12 and missed the postseason for the 14th consecutive season. While the team could have elected to run it back with Rodgers in 2025, they will instead take on the cap penalties in the present and move on as a franchise.

New York has $20.9 million in cap space heading into free agency, per Over The Cap, and holds the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The current quarterbacks on the roster beyond Rodgers are Tyrod Taylor, Jordan Travis and Adrian Martinez.