By Talia Wise —
(Photo: Twitter–Harold R. Kuntz
@HaroldRKuntz3)
Kansas City Chiefs MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes led his team through a thrilling Super Bowl LVIII win Sunday night, overcoming a 10-point deficit and taking the lead with just 13 seconds left on the clock.
Mahomes immediately thanked God after the Chiefs were able to edge out the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22 in overtime with a fantastic pass to receiver Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard touchdown.
“I just gotta give God the glory,” Mahomes said on live TV before millions of viewers.
Mahomes took home his third career Super Bowl MVP award becoming only the third player in NFL history to do so.
He also led his team to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
“With all the adversity we’ve been through this season to come through tonight. … I’m proud of the guys,” said Mahomes, thanking God for growing the team through challenges this season. “This is awesome. Legendary.”
The 28-year-old becomes the fourth starting QB to win three Super Bowls — joining Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman — and second-youngest.
Although Mahomes wasn’t at his best early in the game and threw an interception, by overtime he tightened up his game and became determined to not let the trophy slip through his fingers.
“I am going to celebrate tonight, celebrate at the parade, and then work my way to get back in this game next year,” Mahomes said. “I am going to do whatever I can to be back in this game next year. Three-peat.”
Meanwhile, Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker set a Super Bowl record with a 57 yard field goal.
Butker, an outspoken Christian, previously said, “I never thought I’d ever be on a stage like this, but here I am and I need to glorify God for that.”
And the Kansas City Chiefs’ owner and CEO, Clark Hunt, never misses an opportunity to point to Jesus and Sunday’s win was no different.
“I want to thank the Lord for giving us this opportunity,” Hunt said after being handed the Lombardi Trophy. “It’s been an amazing five-year run.”
As CBN News reported, Clark and his family put their faith on display, praying on the field before the AFC playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens. “It’s one of the cornerstones of my faith and anyone who’s a Christian,” he said about praying. “God is faithful, and even though He knows what’s on my heart, I need to share it with Him because it draws me closer to Him.”
“First of all, I want to give God the glory and congratulate the Ravens on an amazing year,” Clark had said after the team won.
Clark inherited the team from his father, Lamar Hunt. Lamar founded the team the Dallas Texans in the American Football League, Sports Spectrum reports.
The franchise relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and changed its name. The Chiefs won their first Super Bowl championship in 1970. The franchise continued to chase the title until 2021 when they won Super Bowl LV.
“I want to thank the Lord for blessing our family with all these incredible people who have helped us bring this championship home. To the Chiefs kingdom, you guys are world champions once again,” he said at the time.
According to Sports Spectrum, Hunt wore a bracelet on his right wrist Sunday night that displayed “Matthew 25:21,” which is a Bible verse that reads, “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'”
Clark has aimed to make Christian faith a part of the Chiefs culture.
The Kansas City Chiefs stadium has a chapel service for people at the games and chaplains are a part of the Chiefs and FC Dallas organizations, he told the Tyler Morning Telegraph in 2019.
“We want our employees to develop spiritually,” Hunt said. “In the National Football League, Christ is really glorified. My identity is my faith in Christ.”
Meanwhile, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is taking the loss in stride.
“We had opportunities to sort of lap them and get up on them and I think we failed to do that. Moving forward with my career and if you get blessed enough to get in this position again, I think you have to understand that…and I learned the hard way.”
Purdy recently told Sports Spectrum that his football career doesn’t make or break him. “My identity can’t be in football, it can’t be in the things of this world,” he said. “It’s got to be in Him.”
Sunday night’s game was the seventh-longest game in the history of the NFL. The Chiefs last won the Super Bowl in 2023 against the Philadelphia Eagles. — CBN
