Saquon Barkley Earns $250K Contract Bonus as Eagles Beat Chiefs in NFL Super Bowl 59
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will earn an extra $250,000 in contract incentives after his team won Super Bowl LIX 40-22 over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in New Orleans, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, who reported on that front before the game.
Saquon Barkley already has earned $3 million in incentives this season. And a win in Super Bowl LIX would trigger a $250,000 incentive for Barkley and allow him to earn an extra $500,000 this postseason in playoff victory incentives. pic.twitter.com/N3dNcd5wEZ
After six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles.
Barkley rewarded Philadelphia's faith in him by earning Offensive Player of the Year honors. He became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards this season, amassing 2,005 total on 5.8 yards per carry despite sitting the final game for rest with the team's No. 2 NFC playoff seed locked down.
For the year, Barkley had 2,283 total yards and 15 touchdowns. He then added 477 yards and five touchdowns in the Eagles' first two playoff games.
In the Super Bowl, the Chiefs keyed on shutting down Barkley, so his numbers were below his usual par (25 carries, 57 yards; six catches, 40 yards).
However, he finished his season as the all-time record holder for the most rushing yards in a season (2,504).
He keeps making history‼️
Saquon Barkley now holds the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season, including playoffs. pic.twitter.com/kf02PLYbRK
But it didn't matter. Kansas City's focus on Barkley put the onus on quarterback Jalen Hurts to get the job done, and he did en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors.
Overall, Barkley's season-long dominance led to an Eagles Super Bowl, and now he's a quarter-million dollars richer as well.
2025 NFL Draft: Final Selection Order After Eagles Beat Chiefs in Super Bowl 59
Feb 9, 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs may have come up short in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night, but at least they won't be picking last in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Sometimes you have to celebrate the small victories.
With the Philadelphia Eagles' triumph at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the full first-round order is set. Philadelphia will bring the draft's first night to a close on April 24.
The order will undoubtedly undergo a few changes between now and then. For now, here's what the first 32 selections look like.
2025 NFL Draft Order—First Round
Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns
New York Giants
New England Patriots
Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders
New York Jets
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Chicago Bears
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys
Miami Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts
Atlanta Falcons
Arizona Cardinals
Cincinnati Bengals
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Chargers
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Ravens
Detroit Lions
Washington Commanders
Buffalo Bills
Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles
Last year, there was a clear standout for the Chicago Bears to take with the first overall pick. Maybe history will prove the Bears wrong for picking Caleb Williams over Jayden Daniels, but a lot of the pre-draft discourse was dedicated to talking ourselves out of the thing we all knew was going to happen.
Now, it's far more uncertain which quarterback the Tennessee Titans prefer or whether picking a QB is even their best course of action.
Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are in a tier amongst themselves from this year's quarterback class, yet neither is a true can't-miss prospect. They rank eighth and 16th respectively on Bleacher Report's big board.
The Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants all need quarterbacks.
For Tennessee, the Will Levis experiment should be over after he struggled mightily in his second season. Cleveland needs a new long-term solution since Deshaun Watson's second Achilles tear effectively cements his overall decline. And New York cut Daniel Jones midway through this season and doesn't have a single quarterback signed for 2025.
As badly as any of the three need to improve under center, they could determine that going with the best player available is a better strategy than focusing solely on a QB.
Another reason to adopt that approach is that this isn't shaping up to be a great draft class as a whole.
Only six players received a grade of 8.5 or higher, which is reserved for first-round prospects, on the B/R big board: Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham, Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Georgia safety Malaki Starks and Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.
As a comparison, 11 players were graded at 8.5 or better on B/R's final big board in 2024, and eight met that threshold in 2023.
Come April, the draft could open in the most anticlimactic way possible. The Titans take Ward or Sanders and the Browns follow by picking the other one.
But there's going to be a lot of debate and a lot of movement across draft boards before we get there.
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce Ripped by NFL Fans in Chiefs' Super Bowl Loss to Eagles
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
There will be no three-peat for the Kansas City Chiefs this year.
In a stunningly bad performance, the Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 in the Super Bowl on Sunday. It was utter dominance from the Eagles all night while Kansas City's offense remained stagnant in the loss.
Patrick Mahomes, who led the Chiefs to back-to-back championships and three total in his career, had 257 passing yards on 21-of-32 passing, but turnovers proved to be detrimental. He threw two interceptions and lost the ball on a strip sack.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP threw a pick-six to Philadelphia's Cooper DeJean to make it 17-0 in the second quarter before throwing another interception late in the half, giving the Eagles the ball in the red zone. Philadelphia capitalized with a touchdown off the turnover to go into the half leading 24-0.
Mahomes had three touchdown passes, but they all came in the second half when it was too late to mount a comeback.
Mahomes' co-star, Travis Kelce, had little to show for in his fifth Super Bowl. The tight end finished with just 39 receiving yards on four receptions.
Travis Kelce has 0 CATCHES IN 1H for the first time in a postseason game in his career pic.twitter.com/6cZi5ddBHv
While Mahomes was far from the best version of himself, his offensive line didn't help him very much. He was sacked a career-high six times and was pressured by the Eagles' defensive line seemingly every play.
The Chiefs were by no means dominant this season, squeaking out narrow wins on their way to a 15-2 record. On Sunday, all of their weaknesses were on display and it led to a dominant win for the Eagles.
Now, Kansas City will head into the offseason and try to figure out what it needs to do to get back to championship form.
The Philadelphia Eagles hoisted the Lombardi Trophy Sunday night in New Orleans, capping off one of the most dominant defensive performances in Super Bowl…
Eagles Win Super Bowl LIX vs. Chiefs as NFL Fans Celebrate Jalen Hurts, Defense
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts crushed the Kansas City Chiefs with his arm and legs while a bruising and ferocious Philly defense stole the show en route to a 40-22 win in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday in New Orleans.
Hurts completed 17-of-22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 72 yards and one more score.
The Chiefs' defense was keyed in on stopping Offensive Player of the Year and running back Saquon Barkley, the NFL's ninth 2,000-yard rusher who understandably had a tough time getting going against stacked boxes.
That put the offense in Hurts' hands, and he answered the bell and then some.
Jalen Hurts has my vote for Super Bowl MVP. Finish this game and enjoy the celebration. Fly Eagles Fly!
Jalen Hurts getting benched in college football’s title game before going on to win a Super Bowl as a starting quarterback is going to be a great replacement for the “Michael Jordan got cut in high school” story we tell our children when things don’t go so well in sports.
The Eagles pass rush should be the primary story from this game but said on The Forecast this week that I felt Jalen Hurts had caught too much crap during this Eagles season and he’s shown a lot of his excellent qualities tonight.
It cannot be understated how hilariously dumb all of you Jalen Hurts haters look. Go stand in your clown bathrooms, look in your clown mirrors, and apply your clown makeup. You were all wrong about this man.
happy for Jalen Hurts. quite a journey since Saban benched him in national championship game 7 years ago. he heard a lot of people say he wouldn't be a quality NFL QB. great talent and character
Jalen Hurts has been efficient, clutch. The offensive and defensive lines have dominated. AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith have made big third-down catches. Back seven on defense has made plays on the ball.
After the PAT, Philadelphia led 34-0, and the rest of this game was a formality.
It was a great effort from Hurts, especially after he bounced back from a tough interception on a ball intended for Brown that Chiefs safety Bryan Cook grabbed at the Kansas City two-yard line.
Hurts also got revenge on the Chiefs after he and the Eagles fell 38-35 to them in the Super Bowl two years ago. As has been reported numerous times, Hurts had cell phone wallpaper of him walking off the field after that tough Super Bowl LVII loss.
"I don't need a screensaver to remind me of anything, but it's there."@JalenHurts still has the wallpaper of himself walking off the field following the Super Bowl LVII loss. pic.twitter.com/8LaafkXH6T
Now he's emerging triumphant after a well-deserved victory.
The offense and defense played complementary football in this one. The D raised hell all night, making Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes run for his life and sacking the three-time Super Bowl champion six times, including a strip sack in the fourth quarter.
Brown scored his touchdown two plays later to put the Chiefs in a massive hole they stayed in for the duration of the game.
The Chiefs' offense finally got going in the second half, but they couldn't dig themselves out of a 34-0 hole. Mahomes did finish with 257 passing yards and three touchdowns, two to Xavier Worthy (eight catches, 157 yards) and one to DeAndre Hopkins.
But it was too little and too late as the Eagles' D did more than enough to win this game.
The 2024 Philadelphia Eagles defense will go down in history.
I really don't know which Eagles defensive player wins MVP. Maybe Josh Sweat? This is reminiscent of Super Bowl 48, where the entire defense dominated and Malcolm Smith won.
Vic Fangio coordinated what looked like a Super Bowl-caliber defense with the #Bears in 2018. That team wasn’t complete or ready to win. These Eagles are and this domination is courtesy of Fangio’s defense. What a great moment for a terrific, salt-of-the-earth guy. #SuperBowlLIX
It hasn't been uncommon in past Super Bowls for two conference-champion teams to do battle in a game that looked fairly even on paper beforehand only for one side to throughly crush the other post-kickoff. Examples include Super Bowl LV (Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9), Super Bowl XLVIII (Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8) and Super Bowl XXXVII (Bucs 48, Oakland Raiders 21).
The Eagles added their names to that list Sunday, after the Hurts-led offense and the dominant defense prevented the first Super Bowl three-peat and cemented themselves as one of the best teams in recent NFL history after a 17-3 season capped by outscoring their final two opponents (including a 55-23 win over the NFC runner-up Washington Commanders) by a 95-37 score.
Eagles' DeVonta Smith Becomes 1st Player Drafted from Alabama to Score Super Bowl TD
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: DeVonta Smith #6 of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a catch for a touchdown past Jaylen Watson #35 of the Kansas City Chiefs in the third quarter during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DeVonta Smith made history during Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver became the first player drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl with a 46-yard grab in the third quarter.
DeVonta Smith become the first-ever player drafted from Alabama to score a TD in the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/apDN2z2eQ2
The score helped the Eagles build a 34-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of Super Bowl 57.
Smith hauled in four receptions for a team-high 69 yards through three quarters on Sunday.
It was an impressive game from the 26-year-old, who was limited in practice with a hamstring injury leading up to the game.
Jalen Hurts was also teammates with Smith on the Crimson Tide for two seasons, but the signal-caller finished his college career at Oklahoma before Philadelphia selected him with a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
In the following year, the Eagles drafted Smith with the No. 10 overall pick following a stellar senior season at Alabama. He became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since 1991.
The Tide have consistently produced NFL talent, as they had the most players of any school on active rosters during Week 1 of the 2024 season (h/t SI.com's Christopher Walsh). It marked the eighth consecutive season that Alabama ranked No. 1.
Smith has remained a key piece of Philadelphia's passing offense throughout his NFL career, forming one of the league's top wide receiver duos alongside A.J. Brown.
While Smith only appeared in 13 regular-season games due to hamstring issues as well as a concussion, he still caught 68 passes for 833 yards to go along with a career-high eight touchdowns.
He wasn't tasked with a large role throughout Philadelphia's playoff run due to the team's imposing rushing attack, but he still operated as a reliable option when called upon. In three postseason starts prior to Sunday's contest, Smith caught all 12 of his targets for 121 yards.
The former Tide also had a historic performance against Kansas City in Super Bowl 59.
Video: Serena Williams Makes Cameo in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Serena Williams performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Fans watching Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime show, eagerly anticipating celebrity cameos, were thrilled to see tennis icon Serena Williams make an appearance.
Both stars grew up in Compton, California, and reconnected in New Orleans on the grandest stage of all. Williams danced beneath a streetlamp as Lamar performed his highly anticipated single "Not Like Us."
Williams, originally born in Saginaw, Michigan, before moving west to Compton, is a well-known figure in the area, with the community taking pride in the success of the Williams sisters.
"This whole city, man, every time you mention the Williams' names, it's like: 'Compton!'" said local tennis coach Larry Ready, per ESPN's Jim Caple. "You know they're excited about them. They're really motivated and inspired. Even people driving by the courts, they'll yell, 'You ever call Serena and Venus to come over and help you?' They love their Venus and Serena."
Williams boasts an impressive 858-156 professional record, along with 73 singles titles and 23 Grand Slam titles.
The tennis star was a small piece in a larger story told by Lamar, who was also joined by SZA and Samuel L. Jackson.
"I've always been very open about storytelling through all my catalog and my history of music," Lamar told reporters on Thursday, per ESPN's Brianna Williams "... Whether it's a world tour or whether it's 500 people at Key Club, I like to always ... make people listen, but also see and think a little."
While Lamar's storytelling took center stage, it was Williams' impressive dance moves that truly stole the show.
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 Halftime Show with SZA, Mustard, More Thrills Fans
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 09: Kendrick Lamar performs for the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show on February 09, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime show at Caesars Superdome on Sunday was a memorable one.
Lamar's performance featured an introduction from actor Samuel L. Jackson before the rapper played several of his hit songs.
Lamar's setlist included "Squabble Up," "Humble," "Euphoria" and "Luther." The show featured an appearance from SZA, who performed alongside the 22-time Grammy Award-winning rapper.
Lamar teased his popular diss track aimed at fellow rapper Drake, "Not Like Us," several times throughout the show before finally playing it in front of the crowd.
The Philadelphia Eagles held a 24-0 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs heading into the second half of Sunday's Super Bowl clash.
Eagles' Saquon Barkley Breaks Terrell Davis' NFL Record for Rushing Yards in 1 Season
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Saquon Barkley made history in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles star running back broke NFL legend Terrell Davis' record for the most rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs combined. Davis set the record in 1998 when he recorded 2,476 yards, but Barkley got to 2,478 yards in the first half of Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Barkley came into the game with 2,447 rushing yards and picked up 31 in the first half to get the record. The first-year Eagle had 2,005 rushing yards in the regular season and has been just as dominant in the postseason.
He had 119 yards in the wild-card round against the Green Bay Packers, 205 in the divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams and 118 in the NFC Championship win over the Washington Commanders, making his rushing-yard total through three postseason games 442.
Barkley, who is playing in his second postseason of his career, also scored five touchdowns in the games before the Super Bowl.
Barkley's regular-season rushing total was just 100 yards shy of matching the single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.
With the help of Barkley, the Eagles enjoyed a comfortable lead heading into the second half against the Chiefs. Philadelphia led Kansas City 24-0 thanks to a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown, a score on the ground from Hurts and a pick-six from rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean.
Barkley, who joined the Eagles over the offseason after six years with the Giants, is now looking to cap off his career year with a championship.
Patrick Mahomes' 1st-half Super Bowl Struggles Baffle NFL Fans as Chiefs Trail Eagles
Feb 9, 2025
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 09: QB Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by DT Milton Williams #93 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter during Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs on February 09, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It was not an ideal start for Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback went 6-of-14 for 33 yards and two interceptions in the opening half, including one interception that was returned for a touchdown by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean
These struggles limited Kansas City's offensive output and the team entered halftime facing a 24-0 deficit.
This is the third time a Patrick Mahomes offense has been shutout in the first half in his career… and the lowest total yards for the #Chiefs with Mahomes as QB. #Eagles 24, #Chiefs 0
On the other side, Eagles quarterback went 11-of-15 for 123 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Kansas City offense produced a total of 23 yards in the opening half, earned one total first down and averaged 1.2 yards per play.
While it was a rough start, Mahomes' track record still leaves room for optimism. He is a three-time Super Bowl champion and MVP and has made the Super Bowl in five of his seven seasons.
While it will be an uphill battle to complete a comeback, Mahomes and the Chiefs will hope for a major shift in momentum at the start of the third quarter.
